


The Jaguar Jaws.

by hecatefromthedarkness



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Awesome Shuri (Marvel), Beta Wanted, Cocky Erik Killmonger, Cousin Incest, Explicit Consent, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Genius Shuri (Marvel), Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-18 04:12:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 76,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14204775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hecatefromthedarkness/pseuds/hecatefromthedarkness
Summary: She read somewhere that cats rub against people and things to make a claim. As his tongue descended down her back, she wondered if she could apply the same logic to big felines.





	1. Chapter 1

Shuri was confused. Agent Everett explained the man who just crossed Wakanda’s borders was an American soldier, and he used to destabilize countries for the American government. If he was just that, how come he found Wakanda? How could he crossed so well protected borders? And more importantly, why did he have a War Dog tattoo?

T’Challa decided to confront this man and asked to take him to the throne room. On the way there Shuri walked beside her brother and mother alongside with the Dora Milaje. She looked at her brother sideways and noticed the tension on his shoulders. She said nothing, her brother already had enough on his plate.

They all took their places in the throne room when T’Challa ordered to bring this man in, The River Tribe Elder was kneeling in front of T’Challa demanding answers.

The doors opened and the room grew silent. This man, Erik Killmonger stepped inside, his hands tied on the back as he sized the room with smart eyes. It was W’Kabi who brought him forward. Shuri can’t help to notice the strange looks W’Kabi shared with her brother and her breath hitched in her throat.

“Speak.” Her brother demanded.

“I’m standing in your house, serving justice to a man who stole your vibranium and murdered your people.” He paused. “Justice your King couldn’t deliver.” He threw it out there like an accusation.

T’Challa stormed up from his chair and strode towards him, Shuri saw Okoye followed him, ready to attack and the rest of the Dora Milaje followed suit. T’Challa stood right in front of him and whispered something in his ear that no one could manage to hear.

Everyone guessed the question T’Challa asked for his answer.

“I want the Throne.”

The Merchant Tribe Elder laughed and exclaimed to Bast.

“Y’all seemed to appear comfortable. Must feel good. There are about two billion people in the world that look like us, but their lives are a lot harder, Wakanda has the toys to liberate them all.”

Shuri looked at him up and down.

“And what toys are ours?” His brother asked.

“Vibranium. Your weapons.”

“Our weapons are not meant to use to wage a war on the world, it is not our way to be judge, jury, and executioners of people who are not our own.”

“Not your own? But life started right here on this continent, so all people are your people.”

“I am not King of all people. I am King of Wakanda. It is my responsibility to make sure that my people are safe and that the vibranium doesn’t fall into the hands of peasants like you.”

Killmonger just nodded keeping his mouth in a straight line.

“Son, we have entertained and sheltered him for too long, reject his request.” Her mother spoke now commanding all the sovereignty her title had.

“Oh, ain’t requesting nothing. Ask who I am.”

Shuri was getting tired of this charade, she took a deep breath and stepped forward.

“You’re Erik Stevens, an American black operative, a mercenary named Killmonger, that’s who you are.” She emphasized.

“That’s not my name Princess.” He said to her over her brother's shoulder and she could see the gleam of his golden teeth.

“Ask me, King.” He demanded.

“No. Take him away,” T’Challa ordered.  
That’s when the River Tribe Elder asked Killmonger and he replied back in perfect Xhosa.

“I am N’Jadaka, son of Prince N’Jobu.”

The room turned in to confusion. Everyone was surprised by the revelation.

“I found my daddy with panther claws in his chest. You’re not the son of a King, you’re the son of a murderer.”

“You’re lying.” Her mother screamed at him.

“Afraid not” Said W’Kabi as he showed up the royal ring and gasp spread all over the room, including Shuri who now looks at him with distaste. How dare he to claim her Baba was a murderer? Somebody should sew his mouth shut.

Her mother request for the ring.

“Hi, Aunty.” Killmonger mocked.

The nerve.

And then he openly challenged T’Challa to the throne. And her brother accepted.

The elder started to debate when it would take place. In three days they decided. Wakanda’s throne cannot be in turmoil for much time was their excuse. Oh, but if some stranger comes alone claiming their former King was a murderer and challenges the rightful heir to the throne is just fine. Shuri remembered why she hated some traditions so much.

“Untie him.” Her brother announced. Had he lost his mind? This man is clearly dangerous he cannot be out and about.

“Prepare a room for him.” Her brother continued. “You are a Prince, not a prisoner.” At this acknowledgment, her head turned to watch her brother and he looked back at her in reassurance. She guessed her brother bought whatever this brute was selling or perhaps her brother was keeping secrets of his own.

“You will move at your free will, but will always have eyes on you.”

Killmonger looked at T’Challa with a defiant tight smile. “I’m used to it.”

 

Erik could not believe T’Challa left him to roam this place at will, guilt maybe? Didn’t matter now. This way he wouldn’t waste time knowing this by the time he takes the crown.

He had to admit this place was dope, everything was vibranium made and the technology here was off the hook. The thing he would do with it. He wondered what would have been like growing up in this place, his father told him so many stories, how everything was better in this place. How much different from the places he grew up in. His father always kept mentioning the sunsets. It was one of the things he was quietly looking for.

Erik kept walking letting his feet taking him wherever. People around either ignored him or gave him the bad eye, it was alright, once he took the crown he will make’em watch.

He found himself in front of a pair sliding glass doors, but these did not open. On the right side was a button, he pushed it several times but nothing happened.

Someone who worked in the royal palace explained him, sort of, how the beads on his wrist worked. The young boy told him that if he needed help he could always use the beads, he just have to ask for it. Like Siri from his iPhone.

“Beads what is this place?”

“This is Wakanda´s laboratory.” A disembodied voice answered him. Yep, just like Siri.

“Open this door for me.” Erik commanded.

“That cannot be possible.”

Shuri saw a red light showing up next to the screen she was working on. She frowned her eyebrows. She was very specific with the interns, no one was allowed in the lab, for the time being, only her brother and she, and T’Challa wouldn’t be pressing that button, the doors would have opened right away.

She stopped for a minute what she was encrypting into the security system to check on CCTV cameras installed near the main door.

A very much annoyed Killmonger was trying to open those doors, from this angle she could see from the top of his head. He was trying to force the door with his hands. Silly foreigner.

He was wearing his cargo pants and a black sweatshirt.

She activated the audio.

“C’mon open this damn door.” She heard him struggled with the beads.  
She let a sigh and walked upstairs to the main door, there was another sliding door between the main entrance and the lab. It was used to contain any kind of trouble that might arise, that way the rest of the palace was protected.

She noticed that now he was trying to break the emergency button.

He stopped when he saw her. Shuri noticed that even with a vibranium glass between them he still managed to look intimidating.

“S’up Princess.” He greeted.

Shuri had to lift her head to fully look him in the eyes. “What do you want?”

“Visiting, that’s all.”

“Visiting?”

“Just curious about what’s inside.” He pointed at the lab. “Why don’t you lemme in?”

“You have no access to the lab.”

“Why not? You’re brother said I could come and go freely.” He smiled now.  
“You need to be debriefed to have access to the lab.”

“Who does the debriefings? I’d like talking to him.”

“That would be me. I’m not debriefing you.” It was Shuri’s time to smile.

“Fine Princess." He mocked. "But when I’m King I will have access to everything including this lab.”

“When you’re King?” Shuri whispered out loud and chuckled.

“Pretty confident in your brother skills Princess?”

“I’ve seen my brother fight.”

“But you haven’t seen me fight. Hey, is aight. You ain’t have to worry about me getting into your lab. For now.” He threatened.

“We’ll see.” Shuri countered walking back into the lab.

 

The challenge was about to begin. Her brother just asked Killmonger to quit this nonsense, but he refused. Shuri saw him took his shirt off, he had scars all over his torso and arms. One for every man he killed he boasted.

Killmonger was the first to attack. Shuri was confident in her brother fighting skills, but could not deny that this foreigner fight well, she has seen his brother train alongside the Dora Milaje far too many times not to notice when a somebody was a good opponent. And even if training was not her favorite thing to do Baba was very pertinent regarding her learning some form of self-defense.

The fight continued and her breath caught in her throat when she saw Killmonger cut her brother leg and then his torso. A few more strikes and T’Challa was on his back in the water. Shuri heart was out of control banging on her chest and her mother was getting hysterical. Killmonger was about to strike the final blow to T’Challa when Zuri intervened just to find his death.

Her brother was now screaming Zuri’s name, crawling towards the dying man who was their second Baba.

"Is this your King?" Killmonger asked screaming.

T’Challa was on the water face down when Killmonger took him over his shoulder and threw him over the waterfall.

Shuri stopped breathing altogether at this. Her mother started to scream hysterically. Nakia was quietly crying next to them. She numbed out for a few seconds trying in vain to make logic of what just happened. Her brother was dead. First her Baba now her brother. Of the three of them, Nakia was the first to react, she took her mother by the foreman and forced to move. Shuri followed them. They needed to find help. Someone to defeat this foreigner and revenge her brother's death.

Nakia, her mother and her were walking fast through the halls of palace heading their chambers to take as much as needed to leave this place and come out with some sort plan.

“I need to go to the lab.” Shuri told Nakia, who still retained some wits about her.

“What? No, we don’t have time for that.”

“No. I really need to go to the lab. I need to do something.”

“Whatever it is, your life it’s more important.”

“Nakia.” This time Shuri managed to look more authoritative. “I have to go to the lab. I will meet you at the back of the palace, where I used to sneak out of here.”

Nakia nodded.

Shuri ran as fast as she could before Killmonger could even notice their absence. Rushing to the lab. Shuri arrived downstairs and began to type on the keyboard. She never thought that she’d be actually using this precaution. This wasn’t supposed to happen. T’Challa wasn’t supposed to lose.

When she finished she stood there for a moment contemplating everything around her. Another lost. She thought. This place was her fortress and now she was losing it too. Now was not the time for contemplating. She hit the enter button and ran. It all be over in thirty seconds.

When she finally reached her destination, Everett, Nakia and her Mon were waiting for her.

“Shuri, my child. I thought I have lost you too.”

“No mama I’m here.” Her mom hugged her as she cried.

Nakia pulled her aside to question her. “What took you so long? You didn’t bring anything with you.”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Then what did you do?”

“I shut down the lab.”

Nakia was stunned for a second there and almost smiled. “Good.” She managed. She knew what that meant.

“What do we do now?”Shuri asked.

“We find help. I know someone who could. But we need something first.”

“Who?” Asked Everett.

 

When he came back to reality his breathing was hard, for a moment he thought he was actually dead and that he was reunited with his Dad in the land of the dead. He looked around him he was surrounded by the women who worked on the heart-shaped herbs. They were looking at him expectantly. His eyes filled with tears, but he pushed them back in.

When he finally recovered he asked to burn this place, he met refused by the old hags.

“This cannot be allowed to.” They began.  
He took the old woman by the throat until her feet were dangling away from the floor.  
“When I tell you to do something I mean that shit.” He growled and let her go.

Quickly they started to take the torches from the walls and burnt the heart-shaped herbs.

Yes. He thought to himself. He felt so powerful. He was powerful. He was King now. He could feel the blood running through his veins. What was this? He felt reborn as he looked around. Baptized by fire. He had never believed in fate, but as he absorbed the scene taking place around him, how everything burnt around, he took like an omen of this new era. Let everything burn down to build something new.

It was the next day when he started his plans for global liberation. W’Kabi sat next to him, listening.

“The plan is easy.” Erik spoke. “We must arm every operative around the world as well as everyone who wants to join him in this revolution.” W’Kabi nodded.

Erik noticed Okoye stern face at his words. She was standing near enough to hear them clearly. She knew where her true loyalty laid, but he also knew she made a vow. He wondered to what extent will she follow his orders, it would be a damn shame to kill her, after all when his father told him stories about Wakanda’s greatest warriors it was always about the Dora Milaje. He was so disappointed when his father told him boys were not allowed.

“Okoye. Do we have enough weapons to arm them?” He asked.  
“Not at the moment. But we can order to make them.”

“How long will it take?”

“That depends. How many do you plan to arm?”

“Millions maybe.”

“That could take several months. We were not expecting to wage war against anybody in the foreseeable future.” She bit back a little restrained.

“You weren’t expecting me to be your King, but here we are.” He reminded her.

“Where is this place? Where do we produce our weapons?”

“That would be in the artillery, but it is controlled from Shuri’s lab.”

Oh yeah, Shuri’s little Kingdom. He was so busy planning, he forgot how eager he was to visit the lab.

“Well, Okoye lead the way.” He ordered to accompany to the lab.  
Part of him was exciting about the inventions he would find there not just the weapons. Although it was his main concern right now. As he was told every Wakanda invention was made in the lab, from their weaponry to daily life gadgets.

And there he was in front of the glass doors he was days before with the Princess on the other side smiling down at him, refusing to let him in. How ‘bout now Princess?

“This is not right.” He heard Okoye speak.

“What is not right?”

“The doors are not opening. I think we need help from the interns.”

“Well find them.” He growled.

It took the intern ten minutes to get there and twenty minutes after he displayed the screen and the keyboard and began to work on it he looked up at him.

“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”

“What do you mean?”  
“The place has been closed down. This is not the original security system not even an updated version of it. It is completely different and on top of that it’s an attacking virus.”

“Who did this?”

“I could check the trace of the last entry.”

He went back to work and another five minutes passed. “It was Princess Shuri. It was two days ago. No wonder why she didn’t want anyone in the lab in the last few days.”

Erik and Okoye were confused. “Explain.” Erik demanded.

“A few months ago she told me she was working on a new security system.”

“So, you know how to fix this?” Erik interrupted.

“No. It was Shuri pet project and even so, she rarely let us knew the details of her works until they were already finished.”

Erik could not believe this. So fucking close.

“Can we at least initiate the mass production of weapons?”

“No. Everything of such nature is controlled by this lab.”

Erik was enraged. The little bitch Princess was probably laughing at him right now. This would set back everything. It was frustrating. He could feel every muscle in his body tensed. He asked for Okoye spear through greeted teeth. He was staring furiously at the doors.

He took the spear and punched the door as hard as he could with it. Only to achieved nothing. Even more frustrated than before he took the gun from his cargo pants and aimed at the door. This will do.

Okoye took his hand midair to stop him.

“You will get us all killed. These doors are unbreakable. They are made of an alloy of glass and vibranium. You shoot and the bullet will bounce.”

“She’s right.” the intern added. “Only an earthquake could break this. And who knows.”

“What do we do now?” Erik asked through greeted teeth.

“The best we can do is keep trying until we find a weakness in the system.”

It was the fifth time that he sat opposite those damn doors late at night. He had a talk with the intern about the use of the pods. Much likely with the beads you just had to position the pods into a hard surface and command it to display the screen and keyboard. Specs perched on his nose he spent the next two hour trying to hack the system to no bail. He was desperate. For the last three weeks, interns would sit where he was now and tried to find cracks in the software. They were trained by Shuri herself or so they claimed, but much like he was right now, they’d ended up frustrated. Fortunately, Erik was nothing if not patience.

He had to admit the little Princess had a big brain, for a moment there he envied and hated her. The ability to create such things and yet never considered to put in good use, or at least what he considered to be a good use. How many governments could be toppled by shutting down their defense and services systems, he thought to himself.

He wanted to start his revolution as soon as possible, but this was a major inconvenience. He kept typing away different code he stole from the intern. If she built this security system she did it on some platform previously built. He heard a beep and got hopeful. He looked at the screen with half a smile only to watch how his almost three-hour work of the night was being erased, leaving the screen in complete blank.

“Fucking Princess.” He raged.

 

Her head was covered with a Dhuku, she wore a long shapeless dress with big dark sunglasses, she was trying to go unnoticed, and she had to admit it was working. Almost everybody on this street would recognize her. She was passing for another Wakanda young woman going about her day, shopping in the market, and part of it was true she was actually doing some shopping and picking information.

M’Baku had refused to take Wakanda’s throne for himself, as much as she found M’Baku retrograde notion of the world, she would rather have him as King than this foreigner usurper with a very fitting title of his own. Killmonger.

Yes, he counted with W’Kabi’s army and she heard that more people from the different tribes were joining him, but there were a fraction of the people against him and that was the fraction she wanted to reach. It would be painful for her watching her country to fell into a possible civil war, but she was thinking about the grand picture. This was a Wakanda issue and it had to be solved in Wakanda.

She was glad to notice that despite the shift of power must people went about their lives as always at least he wasn’t being tyrannical, and of course, there was the welcome to Kinghood gift she left him. Shuri couldn’t help but smile as she enjoyed the smell of the fruit she was holding. She was hoping for the people she was waiting to hurry up, as good as this cover was she knew eventually she could run into someone who could recognize her right away.

It was her second trip to the city after Everett, Nakia, her mom and her left. They were staying at a safe house at Cape Town. Convincing Everett to keep quiet about Wakanda was not easy. Nakia swore to him that if they couldn’t handle the problem themselves, they would ask for his intervention to unite a front against Killmonger if he succeeds at actually arming every operative. She remembered scoffing at Nakia’s statement. For that Killmonger needed the lab.

She was walking now through a small ally that ended in one of the main streets, she turned right and kept walking when she felt a small shift in the atmosphere. She pushed her sunglasses up and stopped at one of the shops pretending to admire a piece of clothes inside. Two men entered the shop just second after her and her skin crawled. Fuck she’s been caught. She was about to make a swift exit when an arm stopped her.

“Miss, we need you to come with us.” She heard in a foreign accent.

It was in moments like this that she regretted not taking enough training with the Dora Milaje. She didn’t carry any weapon with her, but if there was something those women could do, aside for kicking your ass from here to the end of times, it was turning everything into a weapon and right now she was only surrounded by fabric. She didn’t think she had an opportunity to wrap a silky dress around their necks. So she tried to play along.

She smiled thinly at them. “Going where gentlemen?” She did not recognize them from anywhere. If Erik Killmonger was looking for her why didn’t he use people who knew her? He was King now they would have to abide his command. Although maybe some loyalist would let her go or pretend they didn’t see her.

The one holding her increased the force of his grasp on her forearm. “Don’t play dumb Princess. Now, come with us and be quiet about it.”  
She was thrown into a hover ship. Quickly she gained whatever poised she had and sat straight across from the other large man who caught her. She now had the opportunity to study them. Definitely not from here. It wasn’t the accent that gave it away. It was their clothes it resembled Killmonger attire from the day he showed up at court.

She was brought to the throne room, vibranium cuff keeping her hands at her back. Killmonger sat on her father chair and the Dora Milaje was as always strategically standing in their posts with Okoye next to him. He was wearing a dark blue traditional suit.

Both women tried to keep a straight face about this, but Shuri saw the disappointment on Okoye face.

“At last, I found you, Princess. How was your exile?” He mocked her.

“Fine. Until now.” She countered. “How are plans coming along?” She knew she was playing with fire, but watching how he had twisted his face at this comment, it was worth it. Sadly for her, he changed back to his smug expression quickly.

“Bad. Until now.”


	2. chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the support. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I have enjoyed yours.  
> Again if you spot a mistake let me know.

She was shoved into her old room, at first everything seemed the same, and then she started to look at things more carefully. It turned out her desk was rearranged. Killmonger obviously spent some time in her room looking for something, as if she would be so careless to actually leave some sort of clue behind to unlock the lab.

He had told her to meet him at the lab one hour later, apparently, he had other matters to attend to before her. She used this time to make herself feel more at home. She took a much-needed shower and put on some of her clothes, her closet was also rearranged, which was expected she guessed. She put on an orange top that showed her arms and in a pair of black saggy short that reached just above her knees. She styled her locks into a double bun.

Shuri was about to leave her chambers when she found two women of the Dora Milaje waiting for her. Their faces stoic as ever. She wanted to ask them about the state of things here in the Palace, but choose not to, perhaps later she would ask Okoye or Ayo. In the meantime she needed a way to communicate with her mother and Nakia, they would be expecting her arrival at Cape Town tomorrow. She didn’t want her mother to worry about her, as strong as her mother was, Shuri knew she’d be worried if she didn’t make a contact of some form. Maybe once in the lab, she would be able to contact her.

It wasn’t long before she reached the lab, Killmonger was already there waiting for her with a smirk on his face. She stood right next to him facing the glass doors, Shuri felt his gaze on her, studying her maybe?

“I see you made yourself at home.”

She stayed quiet, this was just him putting on a show until he gets what he wanted. The silent reigned for a long minute. Above many things, Shuri was a scientist, she wanted to how long until he showed a reaction of any kind. Another minute passed and she felt how his breathing increased.

“Arghhhh.” He shouted. “Open this damn place.” He slammed his fist against the doors. It was so loud it made her jump. She turned to him at stared at this eyes. His fist still in the glass door.

“Remove your hand.” She spoke softly.

He begrudgingly did as told.

Shuri turned her eyes back to the door and put her palms on it and whispered.

“Hello girl.” She made sure that only with a combination of her voice saying certain words and her hands' prints, as well as her pulse, would be the only way to open this place. She made sure she would survive.

“Welcome back Lady Shuri.” A disembodied voice greeted her as the door opened. She stepped forward and Killmonger followed her.

“Unidentified person in the lab.” The voice began. “Commencing temporal shut down in five, four….”

“It’s Ok this is Erik Stevens, he has my permission.”

“Your permission? I am the King I ain’t need your permission and I told you that ain’t my name.”

“Right.” She cleared her throat. “Correction this is N’Jadaka son of N’Jobu.”

“Access granted.”

Killmonger grabbed her by her right arm almost making her lose balance. “Yo, Princess why don’t you tell Alexa here who’s really in charge?” Shuri couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

“Fine” she growled. “N’Jadaka is the current King of Wakanda.” She pulled herself out from his hold. Now you will full access to the lab. “Happy?”

“Very.”

After a long tour through all the different departments, it had a medical bay, communication lab, medicine development, mining development, technology, and data development which was where Shuri spent most of her days, finally they got to what she thought it interested him the most. The research and development weaponry.

“Here is where we develop, test and manage the production of Wakanda’s Armament.”

She saw him watch intensely all of the gadget and weapons invented over the years must of them invented with her help of course. They were displayed inside a vibranium energy shield he tried to take one of the long knives he was stopped by the shield.

“You said I got access to this place.” He looked frustrated now.

“And you have it, it’s just the system is infected by a virus.”

“Right, the intern boy mentioned it.”

“Every aspect of the computer system has a different virus and security system.”

“You really went all out Princess.”

“Hmm.” She stood in front of one of the projectors and displayed a screen and a keyboard and started to type all the time she was doing this she felt Killmonger eyes on her, but she didn’t care. She was trying to access the old communication system in hopes of sending her mother and Nakia a message.

“Yo, Princess you’re probably wondering what will happen to you when you unlock this shit.”

Of course, she was asking herself that question, but she didn’t want to dwell on it now. Right now she was alive and had a leverage on him. “No. not really.” She continued typing until she found the old messenger and started to write a short message to her mother. Something only her and mother knew.

You also wanted the ceremony to be over so you could stop wearing your corset.

And she hit enter.

“What was that?” He asked.

“Just sending a message.”

“To whom?”

“My mother. I wanted her to know I am fine.”

“Are you fine Princess?” He advanced to her like a predator.

“Yes.” She answered without missing a beat.

“How come?” He kept approaching.

“You need me.”

“I do?” He was now towering her.

“To eliminate this virus you need a master key otherwise your war would be stagnant for another decade or more. The point was to stop you.”

“But you had to get yo ass back here, to do what exactly?”

Now he was fishing. Of course, he knew or at least suspected a rebellion against him, this was he did. She had to be careful now innocent people could be hurt. Thankfully she was caught alone.

“I’ll confess I was just trying to spy on you.”

He studied her for a while. “Sure I’ll dig that for now.” He paused. “So you gonna fix this shit or what?”

“I’ll fix it, but it will take days, weeks even.”  
“But you was the one who messed this shit up, how come it’ll take you so long?”

“Because I haven’t invented the antivirus yet. It was a foolproof plan.”

“You think me an idiot?”

Yes. “I never said that.” As uncomfortable as she was due to his nearness she went back to typing now she was looking for efforts to hack the systems.

“Wao.”

“What?”

“Someone was trying to hack into the system and got pretty close, but I don’t recognize this imprint.”

“That would be me.” He smiled big for her showing teeth, displaying once again his golden canines teeth.

“Right MIT graduated at nineteen. It is a fine school, I guess.”

“Not a fool at all, Princess.” He said smugly.  
“I went there for a semester when I was ten, it was supposed to be a whole year, but I got bored pretty quickly.” She said nonchalantly. She was actually impressed by him, Wakanda computer system didn’t use a binary language like the rest of the world that’s why it was next to impossible actually hack any system here. And he managed to learn the computer language ten times more complicated than binary in days, let along to get close enough to hack it. But she wasn’t going to tell him that.

She saw him zeroed his eyes at her like she just had offended him somehow. She held his brown eyes with an impassive stare, a challenge of her own.

“When can you start?” He asked almost between his teeth.

“I could begin today, but I will need a clean computer with a software that’s never been connected to our computer system and I will need a bunch of memory cards. Now those are obsolete, maybe we could find them in one of our old storage or if I’m not lucky maybe a vintage store could have some.”

“Why would you need obsolete shit to fix a cutting-edge system?”

“Because if you noticed when you try to hack the system it probably shut down the screen you were working on, as soon as I plug in one of the memory cards if not the right one it will infect it….”

“And you can’t connect the clean computer to anything here.” He finished for her.  
"Exactly."

 

The next day after their conversation in the lab Shuri was in her room having breakfast when Killmomger barked in, and he, unceremoniously, dumped everything in her lap.

“Get yo ass to work Princess.”

As soon as he left her room she couldn’t help to mock him.

Get yo ass to work Princess.

Insufferable fool.

Killmonger had, in fact, managed to find old memory cards really fast. She was expecting for it to take at least a week. I mean who uses those anymore?

She finished her breakfast as slow as possible enjoying every bite of her plate and then she changed her clothes and took her sweet time to arrive at the lab.

Once there she sent another message to her mother. She asked her mother to keep shoveling down into Agent Ross throat to be quiet. She wrote about the state of Wakanda, that she was fine and will continue to be for a while. Do not worry just yet. She said to her mother. She was resourceful, she would think of something to get out of this situation. She omitted writing about the fool that sat on Wakanda Throne or how much she missed her brother and Baba.

She kept digging into the security system to see how dense the virus was. She realized much to her amazement and relieved that she had created a monster.

Yes. This will take days, weeks and maybe another box of full obsolete memory cards.

When she finished creating the air wall around the new computer she began to create the antivirus.

It was past midafternoon when she heard her stomach raged with hunger that she actually get up from the table she was working on.

It was a small kitchenette inside the lab, but it wasn’t any food in it, so she went to the kitchen to fix something to eat.

When she came back to the lab she found him propped up on her table scamming the computer she was working on. Her eyes went round and big like plates when she saw what he was wearing of all the things. A pair of glasses, big hipsters like.

He turned to look at her and she noticed these weren’t a fashion statement, it was hardly noticeable, but the glasses had an augmentation. I mean what was him? A walking trope. Scary Shiny Glasses, she could actually imagine him sitting behind a desk with his hands in a prayer position holding his shin thinking of how he was going to take over Wakanda while light reflected in his glasses. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was her reality she would actually laugh at it.

She stood next to him.

“What are you doing?” She asked as she studied his glasses closely.  
“I’m just checking whatchu doing.”

“Umhu.”

“Whatchu lookin’ at?” He asked menacingly, aware that she was looking at his glasses.

She held her hands high. “Nothing. Can I go back to work?”

“Sure thing.”

She went back to her computer while he looked around, it was distracting, which was odd considering that she had always worked with people around her making noises and sometimes laughing, but knowing that he was there looming around made her feel a little bit off put. She could watch from the corners of her eyes as he admired every weapon and gadget as if they were a piece of art. She wanted him out, now.

After a while, he started to ask questions about everything she tried to answer some of them as she kept writing down codes and logarithms. Eventually, he left. Thanks Bast.

By the time it was almost dinner timer she decided it was enough for that day.

 

Erik days as King consisted of endless reunions with all of the council members. Wakanda might fit in the definition of Utopia, but it was hard to keep utopia. Wakandans relayed a lot in the council and the King to do things, and there was, of course, the constant vigilance of the borders. He wasn’t really sure if open the borders to refugee was the right move to make, he’d been in places where people displacement to an unprepared country could really fuck up the situation. He rather focus his attention on arming people and begin his rebellion. If it wasn’t for the fact that the last thing he wanted was a civil war he would like to dismantle the council and centralize all the power on him, but such thing could be view as an insult to the tribe elders and their people, right now he didn’t have the weapons or the manpower to fight other Wakandas. It was tradition in this place that dictated to follow their King commands till the end, and he had portrayed himself as a breaker of traditions.

Talking about weapons, he had never seen such advance shit in his life, he wanted to taste some before his plan took place, especially the sword he was ogling earlier. It resembled a katana.

He would admit that Princess really rendered him useless for the moment. He felt a pinch of resentment towards her no just because the advantage she had over him, but all the things she could do. She had a brilliant brain. One look at the code and logarithms she was working on and he felt in the presence of something special, she was also very creative, he asked her questions about most of the things in the lab and for some artifacts she mentioned it was hard to keep up. It was a shame that at the end he would probably have to kill her. Such a waste. He could always find some sort of leverage to keep her making shit for him, maybe he could use her mother against her, he knew for a fact that Wakanda women were strong and willed so just treating her with death wouldn’t cut it. She would probably need another type of threat.

Right now he didn’t want to think about that. He was trained to deal with the situations as they came and what he had right now was the Princess under his command. He wondered why she wasn’t putting up on a fight, which made her look suspicious. She did say she was spying on him but refused to keep explaining and he didn’t question more because he knew what was going on, of course, there was a small fraction of people against him. She was probably here trying to meet with them and possibly providing them with weaponry or some shit else, anyways that also was handled for the moment.

 

Princess was in her second week of tryouts and nothing was working. He was starting to lose his patience. Plus there were some days in which she disappeared from the lab for hours and hours and came back late at night, at first he thought she was actually meeting with some rebels, but he concluded that she couldn’t be that dumb. It was something else, he was far too busy to follow her. So he let her be. By the end of the second week, he started to summon her for meals demanding an answer on the progress.

Erik sat at the head of the table and her at the sides far from him.

“Have you advanced something?” He asked upset at the speed of things.

“I have, but nothing to be hopeful for at the moment.”

He hit the table with his open palm making her jump in the process and losing grip on the fork she was holding.

“I fucking need you to hurry up.”

“I am doing my best.”

“Well, do better.”

“You can yell at me all you want, but it will not improve nor will speed my work. This will take time, you need to calm down.” She added.

“You telling me what to do? I’m your king.”

“My king?” She repeated incredulously.

Erik saw her stood up from the chair and walked to him with determination as if she was about to attack him. He remained seated3. She stopped right in front of him and grabbed one of the fangs of the crown hanging on his neck. She was inspecting it like it was the first time she saw it.

“I have only known two kings, you are not one them.” She paused “I could challenge you for the throne, you know.” She said with a lowered voice sounding a lot like her mother the day he stood up to her brother.

“You want to die by my hands? I could arrange that.” She was half his size and he knew that she never finished training with the Dora Milaje. What could she possibly do to him? “As I said I’m king there ain’t no more challenging shit. Princess, you’re all ‘bout tradition, aren’t you? There ain’t heart shape herb to make an antidote for me or give some to the winner.” She held the fang with a strong grip he watched her knuckles turned white.

“So I heard. I also believe some tradition should die. In the spirit of it, I could level with you using Vibranium weapons. I’m pretty sure I could kick your ass. Queen Shuri Udaku, ruler of Wakanda. I like how well rolls out your tongue.” She finally looked him in the eyes. “Doesn’t it?” She was dead serious. “Keep that in mind.” He was impressed by her fearlessness. Openly challenging him in an empty room with no one there to defend her in any capacity.

She released the crown and started to walk.

“Where’d you think you’re going? Come back here. You ain’t got no permission to leave.” He half mocked.

She kept walking to the door, gave the middle finger and slammed the door shut behind her.

An hour later he found out the lab was shut down again. It turned out she had locked herself in.

He banged the door. “Shuri open these door now.” But no one answered. After of half-hour banging the door and demanding to be open she finally answered through the intercom.

“I’m working, leave.” He heard her saying.

“My liege.” Okoye stood next to him. “Your three o’clock meeting is about to begin, your presence is needed.”

He left because he knew these doors were unbreakable and he really needed to get things sorted.

He must admit that of all the things he thought it could cause much trouble the Princess wasn’t one of them. He did his homework. He knew about her existence, but he always had thought of her as an afterthought, nothing of importance, a piece bound to fall as soon as he’d pushed T’Challa to his death. Now he fully depended on her to get shit done.

He rubbed his hands over his head and his face. He was tired of dealing with this bullshit.

Oh, and there was that display of bravery back at the dining table. Long time ago he learned not to be intimidated by anyone, but he felt anger, menace, and authority in her voice. She was almost scolding him. Queen Shuri. It sounded like something.

 

It was two days later when he got to see her again. She reappeared at breakfast time.

“Some progress has been made. I thought you’d like to know.” Her voice sounded tired but still defiant.

He quickly followed her.

“I started testing small systems like the display in here and so I have managed to be successful.” She showed him all the artifacts that were no longer under the vibranium field.

“This is great.” She wasn’t as exciting as him. It was cleared she didn’t want this. She kept explaining with an impassive voice how she had accomplished this, but only because he asked her to.

“And another thing Princess, I am your king whether you like it or not, and more than that I am of your blood.”

“My blood, ha, as if it means something in this family. The only thing of value in our blood is our loyalty to this place.” She scoffed angered now.

“My father killed his brother, your father, for this place. You killed my brother, your cousin, over the throne. I should be plotting to murder you.” It was the first time that both of them actually referred themselves as family.

“It is fucked up Princess when you see your heroes fail.” He said almost sounding sad.

“What are you talking about?”

“Did my presence broke your little bubble?”

"What?"

“You’re angry right now. Aren’t you?”

He watched her heaved trying to control her breathing, a disgust expression setting on her face.

“C’mon let it flow.”

“Yes.” She finally screeched between her teeth.

“Yeah, I know that anger. I felt it every day for many years.” He paused. “I was ten when I held my father’s dead body, most of his blood was spilled on the floor. Uncle T’Chaka had delivered the blow, his brother, the man my father loved and who I grew up to admired through my father stories. Uncle James, Zuri to you. The man babysat me, played with me fed and helped with homework, you think that he´d take care of me, but nah, he abandoned me too, he knew what was in store for me. Did he try to seek me after? Nah. He was just double timing my Dad. Your brother knew who I was that day at the court, he whispered in my ear that blood was the only reason he hadn’t killed me yet. He knew who I was and he called a peasant. And there is this place. Myth like. Literally inside a bubble, where the idea of watching what’s happening to the folks outside of it disrupt your way of life so hard that y'all turned blind to the point of leaving one of your own to suffer.”

She was looking down, rage gone and shame took over, muted by his words. Even he was taken aback by his own words. He never discussed his shit with anyone, he always knew no one would care and now he was spilling everything out to her.

“You mad, but not at me. I’m just a reminder of your heroes failures.” He continued. She lifted her eyes to look at him, he felt it was the first time she saw him. She opened and closed her mouth twice trying to say something.

“Don’t.” He warned her. As he grabbed her chin with his index and thumb. “Chill, I will probably be the only man in your life that will never disappoint you.” She frowned at him with indignation and slapped his finger away from her face. “I’m the bad guy in your story, bad guys never disappoint”

He looked around and held his hands together in front of him in a more resting stance gathering himself.

“Aight Princess keep working.” His voice more steady now. He started to walk out when he turned. “From now on you will join me for some of the meetings and no more locking yourself up in this place.”

“Why would I want to join you for the meetings?”

“So you can watch how I will never disappoint you. Ain’t asking you, I’m ordering you. You will do as I tell you.”

And he left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys thank you so much for the support. I must admit at first, I thought this story was going to be three chapters only, but these characters are getting out of my hands. Again sorry for the mistakes I will correct them eventually. Thank you and enjoy.

She was surrounded by greenery, tall trees of all sorts, clear water engulfed her, birds chirping and small insects going about their way, she couldn’t see them, but she knew they were there. She was floating on water, there was certain freedom and release when you let your body wander around. This was her second favorite place in the world, it was a quiet freshwater lagoon she discovered when she was seven, her brother, of course, knew about this place before, but when she found it he acted like it was entirely a discovery made by her. T’Challa had taught her to swim and float. She was so excited that day, she learned something new and she found this beautiful peaceful place where she would spend hours thinking and dreaming and inventing in her mind.

As she looked at the blue sky above her she was trying to process Erik words, she wanted to scream at him that he was wrong, her Baba would never do something so atrocious, Zuri was a good man and her brother… her brother always upheld truth above anything, what would he let such big thing slide. But the facts remained, they all did all these things he accused them of. Part of her could not accept these facts. No. Yet she witnessed her brother doing so. Mid-fight Zuri admitted his fault on N’Jobu killing. _Murder_ , Shuri, who are you kidding? He wasn’t even tried for his crimes. No! she mentally screamed. And then was her father. He abandoned a child, a helpless child. A Wakandan Prince, his nephew. Her Baba was caring and wise, always concerned with her doings, he always encouraged her to do her best, and taught her about honor and family. She felt the hot tear running down the side of her face.

She couldn’t sleep that night, his words kept spinning on repeat, she tossed and turned in her bed, it was past midnight when she ran to the bathroom to throw up all her stomach’s content. She spent the rest of night eyes wide open numbly watching her ceiling until she felt the sun rays warm her skin.

She closed her eyes again while she felt small fishes gracing her skin. She tried to concentrate on the silence around her. The birds chirping afar, the wind ruffling the green leaves, the muted sound of the water covering her ears whenever she dived deeper into the bottom.

Shuri noticed the shift in her behavior, she became silent and prompt to lash whenever one of her logarithms didn’t work. People, especially Erik, learned to leave alone whenever she was working in the lab.

She kept his promise of taking her to meetings though. One day after their confrontation in the lab, he asked for her presence in one of the meetings with W’Kabi, which earned him one hateful look from her part. Somehow, he managed to convince every single council member to agree with him. The only sympathetic face there was Okoye’s, whom like her, disagreed with the new King, but was bound to loyalty to the Throne. They talked about how she was advancing with the lab and the computer system, Erik commented on how they shouldn’t waste time. The operatives around the world should recruit people. She wanted to stop listening.

Trying to focus once again on her surrounding she closed her eyes. After a while, she gave up and swam back to the wooden steps and dried her hair and body. It was already sunset, so she was probably expected to join Erik for dinner and talk about her progress, sadly for him that day she didn’t achieve any.

As soon as she was nearing her room she saw Erik waiting for her. A neutral expression on his face. He was wearing his blue sweatshirt, the one he used the day he decided to wreck her life. He was sweaty, she noticed, as she got closer she could smell him. She thought he would reek. Sure, he smelled like sweat, but there was something pleasantly musky about it, his eyes never left her.

“Where have you been Princess?” He asked. She noticed annoyance in his tone.

“I was around. Thinking.”

“Thinking, huh?”

“Yes, sometimes I need to get out of the lab to think straight again. Otherwise, I get saturated and I don’t get much done.”

He was looking down at her now. Studying her face. She gave the same neutral face he had right now. You won’t intimidate me, she thought.

“You know what happens to people who double time me, Princess?” he asked half mocking.

“Should I know?” She retorted Still holding his gaze.

“I dunno, you tell me.”

She chuckled and cleared her throat. “I don’t think you understand. I’m not helping you willingly if I were to betray you, it would be expected. But rest assured I have yet to find someone to betray you with.”

“Keep it that way Princess, I know where yo mama is staying at.”

“You hurt her in some way and you can kiss your rebellion goodbye. This time I will not shut the lab, I will erase everything, it will be as if never existed it in the first place.”

He regarded her for a minute realizing she wasn’t kidding.

“Really, Princess, would you do that? Turn back the clock on Wakanda. For your mama?”

“Yes.” She answered without hesitation.

“I see you’re different from your father.” He gave a half sloppy smile.

Shuri narrowed her eyes and looked away from him. If he was looking forward to hurting her, he just did it.

“I’m glad you find that amusing.”

“I meant it as a compliment. Anyway, dinner is served in an hour, Apparently, the son of one of the Elders Tribes is back and want a word with me, I suggested the dinner.”

“It’s you he wants the audience with, whatever you two would be talking is hardly my concern.” She placed her hand on the door to open her room and he stopped her. She really wanted more time away from him.

“It’s your concern now.” He got closer and she could smell him better now as well as she felt the heat spread from his body. This much warmth was exertion. He was probably training.

Shuri sighed. “Why are you doing this? I just can’t see the point in me being there, all you want from me is to fix the computer system, so you can start your rebellion. As much as it pains me that’s what I’m doing, it is enough for me to have to do that. Now I must watch and hear you plan it. No thanks, I’ll pass. I wish to get some sleep every night until you decide to kill me.”

Erik was now invading her personal space stopping the door from opening. he was looking at her straight in the eyes. He smiled at her, but the smiled never reached his eyes. Inadvertently she lowered her eyes and looked at his mouth. She was flashed by his golden fangs. Quickly her eyes got back to his eyes.

“Princess, I want you to understand why I’m doing this.”

After that, he let go of the door and let in her room. If Shuri wasn’t confused enough before she was now. Her breathing was forced. What did he want from her? She was already doing what he asked. For the sake of sanity, she stopped trying to figure out his words. She disrobed from her clothing and got into the shower and let the cold water ran through her body.

Erik was in his chambers getting ready for tonight’s dinner. He wore a dark blue deep v neck long sleeve t-shirt that showed the muscle of his chess with dark jeans. Black sneakers, above all of this he wore the Crown Necklace. He checked himself in the mirror one more time. He looked fine.

The man attending dinner today was supposed to be the son of the Elder of the River tribe, according to his father, he also believed that Wakanda should increase its presence in the world. It was perfect he needed as much support as possible.

This last week have been exhausted for him. Mentally at least. It was meeting after meeting, talking with operative all over the world, all the Wakanda spies placed in different countries. The fact that the Princess kept going away for hours some days, it was no help, but at least progress was being made. He convinced the council to join him in his cause with the help of W’Kabi. They both have talked about what they believe in. Turned out more than half of council liked the idea of Wakanda having a presence in the world. Erik wasn’t sure to what extent or the methods to get have it, they would like to implement, but at least he wasn’t completely alone in this.

It made him wonder if all Wakanda think like this and if so why didn’t the formers Kings do something about it.

Normally he didn’t like formalities, it was all shit to him, but since he was king he’s got a certain image to hold. He needed to show himself as polite as possible and skilled when it came to diplomacy.

He was escorted by the Dora Milaje to the main dining room, people were already waiting for him. W’Kabi, Okoye, the elder of the river tribe, M’Baue, his son who name he couldn’t recall the only one missing was the Princess. She was supposed to be here in time. She better be getting her ass here soon. He was in the middle of an internal rant when Mr. M’Baue approached him, his son behind him.

They were dressed sharp. The elder wore a dark green suit with a black tie and his son wore an indigo blue suit. So contrasted to what he was wearing. They looked at him as if they weren’t expecting someone else.

The older man stood in front of him and introduced his son.

“My King this is my younger son, his name is Amami.”

The young man bowed his head and gave him the Wakanda salute which he returned.

“It is a pleasure finally meet the new king.”

Erik offered him a toothy smile. “Amami, your father told me you studied overseas.”

____

He heard someone entering the room, much to his disappointment it wasn’t the Princess. It was just a waiter with some drinks.

____

“That right.” The young man said. Making Erik returned all the attention to the man in front of him.

____

“What did you study?” He asked to keep the conversation going and distract himself.

____

“Physics” He responded. “I studied in Germany.”

____

“Good.”

____

At that moment Shuri finally appeared, she was wearing a midthigh skirt and a loose blouse that showed her right shoulder and shoes that looked like some old converse. Her locks were in a half ponytail.

____

He watched her look around for something or someone. She searched the whole room with her eyes without making contact with him. She sat in her chair with her arm crossed, her eyes had a bored expression while she stared at some point on the wall across her.

____

It took a minute for the rest of the people to notice her presence. The elder scolded for the faux pas.

____

“We should sit” Erik commanded.

____

Dinner began quickly enough.

____

Erik sat at the head of the table, W’Kabi and Mr. M’Baue sat on the sides close to him facing each other and so did Shuri and Amami.

____

“Why don’tcha start by tellin’ me why you want a word with me?” He looked right at the elder.

____

“Right to the point then. My son and I have been exchanging information within his travel to the European continent and America and like your Majesty, he agrees that the world needs better rulers. I have always believed in the idea that some people cannot help themselves, so they need a guiding hand.”

____

It might not be what he had planned, but if he wanted he could be a guiding hand.

____

She looked around the table everyone but Shuri was paying attention to this conversation. She was slowly playing with her food.

____

“I believe that too. I think we could use this opportunity to make a fairer world.” W’Kabi added. Erik sincerely didn’t know about fair but did know about reckoning.

____

“So aside with agreeing with me, what else could you do to help my cause?” Erik was curious now. Why were these men so eager to help him? What was in it for them.

____

“For the moment nothing but support, an army if father agrees, which I think he will, but when the time is right. I want a place in this new world.”

____

“I dig that.”

____

The rest of the meal arrived as usual, but he watched one of the waitresses placed a covered dish in Shuri place, even she looked surprised. The girl smiled at her and went her way.

____

Up until then, she hadn’t made eye contact with him, she was ignoring them all so well that she almost looked like a moving decoration, her expression was neutral and muted. She frowned at something down on the table and looked at him from the corners of her eyes.

____

She was hiding something, he quickly stood up and walked to her. He spotted when she swiftly took the whatever she hid from the table. This situation her here he saw as an opportunity to make an example for everyone else.

____

“Give it to me.” He ordered.

____

Shuri kept still.

____

“Give it to me or I’ll have the girl killed.” He threatened now.

____

The Princess placed the piece of paper delicately in his hand without making contact.

____

He quickly unfolded the small piece of paper. It read.

____

-Happy Birthday, Princess it’s your favorite, chocolate and strawberry cake.-

____

He felt like an idiot. Of course, if she was keeping contact with rebels they weren’t going to pass information right under his nose at a small dinner he was attending.

____

He handed the note to her to read it. She passed her eyes through the note and uncovered the plate it was indeed a small cake.

____

“I forgot my own birthday” She breathed.

____

He was walking away from her when he heard her moved the chair she was sitting on.

____

“May I retire?” She asked.

____

“No.” And he kept walking. It’s been a while since he embarrassed himself this way. This was paranoia.

____

“Please my king I beg you, I want to be alone right now. I ask you please may I retire?” He heard the deep sadness in her tone and it was the first time in all their interactions she referred to him as King. She sounded as if she was about to cry. He wanted to rage at her now.

____

“Fine go.” He said between his teeth.

____

She took her cake and walked out of dining room.

____

The rest of dinner continued without much nuance.

____

 

____

At the end of it, he knew why the elder and his son wanted to join him. It was plain and simple, they wanted power.

____

Erik went looking after the Princess, he guessed at the time she would be in her room. He went there looking for her, but he couldn’t find her, so he headed towards the Lab. At least she didn’t revoke his entrance to the lad like the last time she was upset with him.

____

After a moment of perusing her usual station, he found her sleeping, sitting on the floor, leaning sideways against a wall, the rest of the cake sat on the floor next to her. By the stains of water on the ground, it was clear that she was crying.

____

He stood there for a moment contemplating the scene. Should he wake her up and scold her for not following his orders? He really wanted to.

____

He lifted the cake off the floor and took a bite. It was delicious. He put the rest of it on the table. He sighed.

____

He put his arms behind her knees and arms and carried her, she didn’t stir. He should have let her sleep right there, wake up with neck pain, instead he was carrying her to her room. Her skin was warm and soft against his hands and she smelled of lavender.

____

It was late at night, so no one was in the guards’ post. He gently pushed the pad to her room and the door slid open, as delicate as possible he placed on the bed, it was the only time she made a complaint noise. He took the sheet and covered her with it. Not wanting to linger one more second, she left her room.

____

It was already mid-day and fortunately, Erik had completed his agenda for today, good because he needed to rest and distract himself for a little bit. He decided to pick a bone with Princess Shuri.

____

He found her in the lab in deep thought staring at her computer, she was wearing some high-end wireless earbuds, so she couldn’t hear him approach. After a second, she started to type manically into the computer.

____

He stood next to her and she hadn’t sensed him yet, she still smelled like lavender. She must have felt him because she lifted her head staring right ahead and then turned to look at him.

____

“Hello.” She greeted him.

____

“Hi.” He greeted back openly staring at her face. The silence reigned for long seconds.

____

“Do you need something?” She asked trying to break the silence.

____

“I just came down here to supervise your progress. Whatcha you doin’?” He asked her finally breaking contact with her.

____

“I am trying to restore the main communication system, as a fact I am finishing writing the codes right now if you want you can stay and watch me do it.”

____

This was the first time that she invited him to stay at the lab. It’s been a first time for a lot of things lately.

____

She continued to type into the computer this time at a much slower pace.

____

“Did you take me to my room last night after I fall asleep?” She turned to him looking for an answer.

____

He nodded.

____

“Thank you.” She said. “Ok, this is ready let’s try it.” She took the memory card out of the computer and plug it into the system, displayed a hologram keyboard and screen and hit enter. It took the whole a minute to be working again.

____

“Reestablishing communication system.” The disembodied voice of Alexa announced.

____

“Great,” Shuri said smiling. “Good thing you’re here, I can try the communication devices.” She took one of the spheres that looked like kimojo beads and hand it to him.

____

“Place behind your ear and walk to the other end of the lab.” He did it without questioning her, which halfway his path annoyed him.

____

“Do you hear me?” She tested.

____

“Yes. I hear you loud and clear.”

____

“Great. I think the long range is working too.” She said enthusiastically.

____

“How long is the range?” He asked curiously.

____

“Worldwide.”

____

“Damn.”

____

He heard her chuckled through the intercoms.

____

He returned where she was. She was tasting other parts of the communication system.

____

“All working fine over here.” She then tried something on her pad, but only got frustrated.

____

“Crap. This is supposed to be working.”

____

“What?”

____

“My sand.” She pointed to a pile of black sand on a box on the floor.

____

“Didn’t you turn nineteen yesterday. You’re too old to play in a sandbox.”

____

“Ha ha.” She looked offended. She kept hitting buttons on her pad.

____

“Why don’t you try to switch it off and on?”

____

“This is not your obsolete technology.” She huffed

____

Erik gestured with his hands to give it to him.

____

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes.

____

He took his glasses out and put them on. He Switched off and on. Immediately the black sand on box started to vibrate. He gave her a full smile. While she frowned at him with embarrassment.

____

“You got lucky.”

____

“Of course.” He mocked her. “What this thing do?”

____

“It can take the form of anything. For example, if I wanted to take control of a ship I just need one on the communications beads it would scan it and make a perfect copy of it with this sand allowing me to drive the car. It also works if I wanted to know how to open a locked space I would know where the opening systems are and how to open it.”

____

“Cool, that is amazing. Like controlling a drone from a distance. You could actually attack the enemy without putting yourself at risk or better take control of its weapons.”

____

When he finished talking out loud what it could be done with this tech. She saw staring at him with a small frown and thin line on her lips.

____

“You are a hammer,” She said.

____

“What? Is that some sort of Wakandan insult?”

____

“No. Everything is a nail to you.” She clarified. “Is there something else you do aside from toppling governments and usurping kingdoms?” Princess asked half joking.

____

“I also conduct stoning on weekends.” He retorted. He watched roll her eyes at this comment.

____

“Let see if the hologram of the kimojo beads is working.” She continued. She trinketed with her pad for a few seconds and asked to use the one on the table to talk to her. As he did, again without even thinking about it, he asked into it.

____

“Call Princess Shuri.” as immediately, her kimojo beads started to shine. She responded and a holographic image of her in real time showed up in his.

____

“It seems to be working just fine.” She said impassively.

____

“You were expecting a big party for your birthday I guess." He taunted. "All your little friends congratulating you.” He blurted out.

____

She turned from her pad to look at him. A sad smiled on her face. “I don’t have many friends, it’s difficult for a person like me.”

____

“I imagine you cocooned since the moment you were born, being royalty and shit.”

____

“It wasn’t because of that. I never spent much time with children my age when I was growing up.”

____

“Let me guess, you were homeschooled, mom and dad didn’t want you to be around peasants.”

____

“Why do you always have to be so defensive? The reason I didn’t have many friends or any is that I’m smart. I only lasted one week on the version of preschool that we have here. That’s not much time to develop meaningful relationships I finished what you would call high school when I was nine and yes, I was homeschool because regular teachers couldn’t keep up with me, and while I was in MIT every body 7looked at me like I was some sort freak show and those who didn’t wouldn’t speak to me beyond pleasantries because there were all adults and even though I was probably smarter than them I was still a child. And the only thing I was expecting for my birthday was quiet dinner with my family.” She paused for a moment. “I had the luck to have a really good brother, despite the age gap he never pushed me away.”

____

“I least you had that Princess, you shouldn’t complain.”

____

Princess took a deep breath and turned away, returning to what she was working on.

____

Erik kept looking around watching how many of the things around returned to life as she worked on her pad.

____

“You never answered my question?” She began again.

____

“What question?”

____

“I asked what you do besides toppling the government and usurping Kingdoms?”

____

“Ok. Princess let’s get one thing straight I didn’t usurp anything from anyone. It was my right to claim the throne, your brother lost in a fair fight according to Wakandan traditions, whether you like it or not I am your true king, you may disagree with me, rage about it and throw all the tantrums you want, but the fact is I am your king.”

____

“I know exactly what sat you on the Throne you don’t have to remind me, thank you. I’m just made a joke trying to be civil with you.” He detected genuine interest on her part.

____

This was followed by another awkward silence.

____

“I like to read, history mostly.” He also liked to do other things, but he wasn’t telling her about that. “I like to train. Sword fight.”

____

“Oh. that interesting. Considering that American don’t use swords to fight anymore. Fencing?”

____

“That’s too girly for my taste.”

____

She frowned her face in confusion. “What another type of sword fight do Americans engage in if any?”

____

“The styles I practice are not American.”

____

“Ohh, so there are several styles you practice.” She nodded assimilating the information. “What else do you do?”

____

“Princess what’s up with this 21 questions game?” he was annoyed now. Princess had the ability to drive him crazy.

____

“I figured if you are going to be here for a while I might as well tolerate you. Sharing information about yourself makes people sympathize with you. Sympathy makes you more human.”

____

“Fine, you want sympathy.” He was mad by her remark. “I went from foster house to foster home till I was fifteen, I’ve been alone all my life I grew up in the streets of Oakland.” He began when she stopped short.

____

“Wait. Didn’t you go to MIT?”

____

“Yes,” He said angrier now for the interruption.

____

"How did a poor kid who lived on the streets go to MIT?”

____

She just had caught off guard. "My last foster parent Mrs. Simpson helped me with my application. She said I need to put all that rage and energy into something productive.”

____

“So, you had Mrs. Simpson.”

____

“She was glad she was getting rid of me.” God knew how many times she had to get him out of juvie.

____

“Did you have many friends?”

____

“Before my father died I did. All the kids in my neighborhood and some at middle school.”

____

“Middle school? You were ten. Ohhhhhh.”

____

“That’s right Princess I was also advanced for my age.”

____

“What about afterward?” She asked a little restrained.

____

“Some, mainly from home, but then I had to move, and the connection was lost, I didn’t have many acquaintances after that.”

____

“You mean friends.”

____

“I don’t do friends.” He said as a matter of fact.

____

“So, you’re lonely.” She said as if she wasn’t also.

____

“Whoa Princess don’t, don’t pity me. I don’t need friends. I don’t need anybody.”

____

“Umm okay. Then why are you here if you don’t need anybody?”

____

“You know what I mean, don’t play dumb.”

____

He knew what she meant.

____


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments. Enjoy.

It was night time, he knew it because he was watching outside his window, but this was not Wakanda, this was Oakland, when he was ten all over again, was he bury again in the red sands of the Heart-Shape herbs garden? It was impossible, he burnt the place and he wasn't suffocating this time. No. He was dreaming, it's been years since he dreamt about this place. The apartment was exactly like that night when his Baba died. But this time he wasn't ten and he was wearing the Wakanda Crown around his neck and traditional Wakandan garbs much like the picture on his Baba old diary.

“Unyana.” He heard his father voice calling him from behind. He turned and found him there, standing in the middle of the living room. He was wearing the same clothes he wore the night he found him dead.

“Baba. Ndikhangele mna ndiyinkosi ngoku.”

“Yes, son King you are. I am happy for you son. You will do what your father couldn't.”

“I'mma make you proud Baba.”

“I have no doubt in that son.”

“The world will vow to me and my people Baba. They will pay for they did to us and Wakanda will learn not to turn blind on our people’s suffering. Baba the sun will never set in the Wakanda Empire.”

His father smiled at him the way he used to whenever he came from school showing him his grades. He wanted to cry now.

“I wish you were here Baba.”

“You wish me there son?”

“Yes, Baba. I do.”

“But you said you didn't need anyone.”

“Baba, I never meant that.”

“Yes, son, you said that.”

The next thing he saw was his father fell on the floor with blood coming out of his shirt and he was once again holding his body while he bled.

His father looked at him in the eyes.

“N'Jakada. Let go of me, you don't need me.”

“Yes, I do, I do. Yes, I do.” This time he cried for his father.

He woke up with a bold sweating and holding a scream in the throat. He sat on the edge of the bed holding his head in his hands.

“My King.” He heard. It was a feminine voice. It took him a second to remember he wasn't alone tonight. What was her name? He couldn't recall it.

“My King. Are you alright? He noticed worried in her voice. Do you wish to call somebody?”

He shook his head. “Perhaps a massage or we can begin again.” She offered, whispering in his ear.

“No.” he said. She moaned in complain. “Please leave.” Since this wasn't their first time fucking she understood quickly and left.

He didn't know what time it was, but he knew he didn't want to remain in bed any minute longer. He put on his training clothes and went down to the gym. He walked through the corridor of the palace glancing at the dark sky from time to time. He remembered the day he took the throne. All the plans he had that needed to come to fruition yet. All the promises he made he did to his Baba, it was a matter of time. Normally he never pondered too much on his nightmares.

Halfway to the gym he changed his mind and headed towards the lab, maybe he could find something there to ease his mind into.

Once he entered, his eyes started to scan the whole place looking for something to do. He saw all sort of weapons, some of which were already out of the magnetic field they were in when Princess started to unlock the whole system. But he wasn’t looking for that, he wanted something to challenge his mind not his body. That was when he saw it. This wasn’t a weapon, not at first glance, he wondered what it was. There were two collars one silver and the other gold. They were resting in mannequins. They looked similar to the crown, then he remembered he had seen the silver one before, attached to the black panther suit, back in South Korea when he was rescuing Klaw. His cousin wore it. He wondered if it was a statement of his royalty or if the necklace was a weapon of the suit. He took the golden one and examined, there were no buttons on it. He put pressure all over it to find some sort of response. When nothing happened, he asked his Kimojo beads.

“Beads what’s this thing?”

“The necklace of the Black Panther suit.” The disembodied voice answered.

“What does it do?”

“The necklace displays the suit using vibranium nanotechnology.”

“How does this activate?”

“By command.”

Kay. By command. He put the necklace on as he watched his reflection on the vibranium crystal that surrounded the lab. He liked it a lot. He decided there that it suited him. He fully turned to see what would happen next.

“Suit activate” He commanded feeling ridiculous, for some reason he felt eight years old again, naïve and giddy. In part because he was about to put on the Black Panther suit, his father talked so much about what it meant he wanted to become the next Black Panther, but it was another broken dream alongside ever be part of the Dora Milaje and in another part the fact it activated on command made feel like he was in some sort of anime in which the hero got all geared up by simply saying a word. But this time nothing happened.

“Suit display.” He tried again in Xhosa this time and nothing. He took it off and continued to examine it further. He found a small orifice, it was a lens. This meant it was supposed to read something. He tried his war dog tattoo and put in on again and yet it did nothing. He was getting frustrated. Then he remembered the princess saying that Wakanda computer language was different from the rest of the world. Maybe this necklace also needed a key code in Wakanda's computer language.

In the last few days he had to learn a great deal about Wakanda information systems. But the key code wouldn’t be in this language. No. It had to be on Xhosa. The owner of this suit was T’Challa, maybe it was his name in Xhosa. He wrote down and passed the lens above it and nothing happened. He kept trying with different words in Xhosa to no bail. He was about to give up when he got an idea. Most, if not all the gadgets invented here were listed and came with a manual and since the data and information system was already re-established he could find the necklace there.

He finally founded it, but it was what he already knew. He kept digging in the file. The key code was written in the King skin. It was supposed to be a vibranium tattoo, but his war dog tattoo didn’t work.

Written on the King skin, it was a mark just for the King. He couldn’t remember any tattoo on T’Challa skin.

As he kept reading he found that it was a vibranium tattoo what it was only visible under a vibranium light much like the one the kimojo beads display when it was scanning things. It was linked to the bearer’s will, the suit could be displayed at the mental command of the person who wore the necklace.

Erik’s mind was reeling in awe. The Princess had found a way to connect nanotechnology to a person’s mind through a tattoo. He had a new-found respect for the Princess, he had studied with the most intelligent people while in M.I.T. and he had seen some of the secret American government weapons from time to time, had watched videos of Tony Stark in action far too many times, but this technology, this high level of technology in just one place, coming out of just one person. Curiosity hit him hard because now he was digging into other inventions, sketches, and ideas from the Princess. When he learned that she was the head of the research and development technology department, his first thought was nepotism. After a while watching her work and nailing her with questions he knew she was smart, but this was crazy. He felt a mix of anger, envy, fear and admiration for her. If she set her mind to it she could kill him, she really could. All the sudden the words she so calmly said to him that day when he was pressuring her, had a whole new meaning. She might not have the physical strength to kill, but she didn’t need it to. She could invent something to turn him into ashes. He knew she wouldn’t, he didn’t think it was in her nature to deliberately kill a person, but he also knew what human being was capable of when the right buttons were pushed.

He threw his head back just contemplating his next move. He really needed shit to go faster.

After a while of reading through all the inventions he was getting tired and needed sleep. He resolved that the first thing he will do in the morning was to find someone to give him a tattoo. He put back the necklace where he found it. He smiled to himself, it was going to be an interesting couple of days.

 

As time went by Shuri was getting more used to Erik’s presence. Lately, he was asking more questions about specifics, not only what her inventions did, but how they work, and technology was behind it. Far more often she would find herself cheerfully explaining everything to him or warning him about what some of the things could do if those were not handled with care.

Aside from the fact that every day she was getting closer to finish unlocking every system she was also worried about her mama. It’s been a while since she had talked to her and she didn’t sound very well. Nakia had told her that she was missing her dearly and spend her days praying. Nakia also told her that she even thought of publicly announce the truth about Wakanda to find allies to help her fight Erik. Truth to be told she didn’t mind at all for Wakanda to stop its isolationism policies, but had read far too much history of the world to know it should be done carefully and in regulated doses. Unfortunately, her mama’s anger and grief weren’t letting see the bigger picture. The best one could do was delay Erik as much as possible and try to convince him to approach this differently. She could understand where he was coming from and all the truth in his words, he wanted a do-over where he is a conqueror and the world is his to do his will. If he really wanted justice what he needed was a change in the system or even destroy it to build something fair not just change places in the game.

Erik had his mind set to conquer and bring death, she had felt it in his words and seen it in his eyes, but she suspected this was more a personal vendetta against the world than achieving any sense of justice.

She often wondered what would have happened to him had he been raised alongside her and T’Challa. A mind like his would have benefited from all Wakanda knowledge.

Shuri went back to what she was doing, trying to reintegrate the medical bay and health data into her lab system. This was one the only part that she had left untouched, but only to treat small injuries.

She groaned. For Bast’s sake, she really had rendered this place useless, she wasn’t waisting her time, but she would rather be doing some upgrade than rearranging all this. She was starting to feel miserable, she couldn’t remember the last time she invented something or upgrading one of her inventions, not like it would be a great idea to invent something now, Erik would probably find a way to use as a weapon.

Shuri really wanted things to back as they were before. She wanted her brother back, her Baba and her Mom. Days when she didn’t know about the existence of this man that now is asking her to do the unthinkable. She had even lost any kind of contact with the rebels inside Wakanda. She sighed. This was a battle that she would fight alone.

As much as she liked to spend time in the lab she was getting tired, every day she found herself more alone. Erik has been monopolizing the Dora Milaje, sometimes he would train with them when they were not on duty. She missed speaking with Ayo and Okoye. She missed her brother.

That’s it. She was done for the day she thought. She needed a distraction, maybe she would see a movie later.

She was heading towards her room when a distance light caught her attention, it came from one of the balconies of the palace that face the mountains, it was close to her rooms. She stopped there to observe, it was nothing really, but enough to make her stray from her way, as much as she loved the city and all its technology, she always has found inspiration on nature, that’s why most of her inventions were biomimetics. She stayed there admiring the landscape, her peaceful city, her country was about to wage a war against the world. Just because Wakanda defenses were high end it didn’t mean that eventually, all this could be teardown to the ground, she wasn’t naïve enough to think of that Wakanda as that impenetrable, Americans were crafty when it came to weaponry. If this war were to happen she wondered how long this peace will last.

Her thoughts trailed for a while when she thought she saw something approaching, she turned and there was nothing. Fantastic she was becoming paranoid now. She took a deep breath and started to walk to her room when she was stopped by a hard obstacle.

A hard chest covered in black and golden nano-vibranium technology was on her eyesight. Her breath hitched in her throat, her nostril flared in surprise, she was afraid to look up. She refused to do so. She tentatively used her finger to follow the patterns of the black and golden spots on the suit. He was towering over her, a small shift and they would be touching.

She continued to follow the patterns without touching it, she noticed that those parts where she had stumbled upon were brighter. The kinetic energy.

“You afraid to touch me, Princess?”

Even suited up she could feel the heat radiating from him. She was at loss for words. What kind of question was that? Better yet, how did he manage to activate the suit? He didn’t have the knowledge or the key code to do it. How?

It took her long seconds to articulate a sentence. They were both still in place, neither of them had moved a little.

“This wasn’t the design I chose for this suit.”

“No, it ain’t.” He had commanded the suit to retrieve the helmet from his head because his voice sounded more clear and deep than she remembered from a few seconds ago when he asked her that irritating question.

She opened her mouth to say something taking a big breath while at it, just too closed it again and still no words and no eye contact on her part. That didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling how he was pinning her in place with his stare.

Why was she acting like this? This was not her. She gathered all the courage she found within and tilted her head back to look at him. As she was suspecting, she found him looking at her with deep brown eyes, there was a shadow of a smirk in them.

She swallowed again before she spoke. “H… how did you do this, Erik?”

And there it was, the full smirk. As if it was possible he came nearer without breaking eye contact. True to be told she wanted to run in any direction, but his eyes kept her in place.

“You amaze me.” She felt sincerity in his tone. “You got one of the biggest brains that probably walk the earth and yet you fail to remember two things, particularly about me.”

“W… what?”

“First of all, I’m smart I might not have your advantage, but I could reach your level, eventually. And second, that ain’t my name.” He was cornering her into the edge of the balcony. “Maybe Princess what you need is a physical reminder. Spanks will do just fine”

All the alarms inside her went off, her eyes widened, and her mouth turned into ashes. His eyes had become feral closely watching her reactions. He was enjoying this. Did this man's mockery have no end or limits? Who the fuck was him to make her feel this way and revel in it? A voice inside her head was insisting on keeping things logical.

“I… I…. I apologize. I will never take your intelligent for granted, N’Jadaka.” She said calmly. “I still want to know how you did this, that suit has… had heavy security systems and you need a key to activate.”

“I learned how you work and the programming, all those questions I asked you and you never suspected it.”

Of course, that’s why all the sudden he was bent to know the details and specifics of almost everything and in her solitude of not having no one to speak to she had answer all the questions, he asked, forgetting what he was capable of.

She felt a little use, but still in awe that with so little time he achieved what some of her interns take months to do.

“The key code is another matter.” He said finally breaking contact with her to turn his head to the left and tilted it up. She knew what this meant. Within the little space, he had left her to move she maneuvered her hands to light that part of his neck with her kimojo beats. The key was there tattooed on his skin, but it wasn’t the one she chose either. She had to lean up and forward to read it.

“Prevy.” She whispered. She saw how that part of his skin bristled when her breath hit it as she read the words out loud.

He immediately took a step back covering that part of his neck with his hand, giving her the strangest look, like she had hurt him somehow.

“I shouldn’t have shown you that.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t.”

She was relieved that he had step back from her, she silently sighed.

“Would you still show me how..?” she trailed off.

“Yeah sure.” He said not sounding so sure. He was gone in the next second.

Shuri walked to her room, closing the door behind her, her breathing became heavier if possible, she was banned from locking the door, but she didn’t care, she wanted a barrier, a big one, between her and the man walking away from her room. If she could, she would use the bed to block the door even if it meant to starve for a few days. She was frantic. Pacing her floor from corner to corner. She took her face in her hands. How? Why?

She wasn’t very religious, but now she felt like praying. She knelt before her bed and started to pray away.

She thanked Bast to be alive, asked for her Mother to find comfort. She prayed for her brother and Baba to be at peace in the ancestral plane with their decision they made when they were alive. She even prayed for N’Jobu to find forgiveness in his heart for what had been done to him and his son. She prayed for N’Jadaka to find peace in his heart and change his mind before it was too late, for him to open his eyes and to be liberated from all the hate and the anger. And finally, she prayed for her, she asked for patience and wisdom to deal with this man and more important for what just happened never to occur ever again in any way, shape or form.

She stayed there for a long while after she finished. She stood up and began disrobing from her clothes, she was planning on seeing a film and then go to bed. Use the small living room with the big screen where she used to watch movies with her Baba, but now she just wanted to take a cold shower and hide.

She felt so much better when the cold water cooled her body, she started to rationalize what just happened. All these confused feeling where due to exposure. It is scientifically proven that when one begins to spend time with someone else one could feel emotion over the other person or enemy, emotions like guilt. She tried to convince herself that it was guilt, sympathy or perhaps some sort of Stockholm Syndrome, yep that was it. There is your explanation Shuri, she told herself.

She didn’t even go out of her room for dinner, she just stayed for a long time in the shower and when she saw her finger turned into raising she got out of it and put on some pajamas. She grabbed her kimojo beads looking for some movie to watch, after a while rolling the hologram screen up and down she finally settled for an old black and white about a former married couple in the eve of the woman’s wedding to another man and a nosy photographer who kept misreading signals from the bride. It was needless to say that she watched the entire movie and sleep still hasn’t caught up with her.

She turned off the screen and throw the sheets above her and prayed to Bast again, this time for sleep. She couldn’t remember exactly when she finally she felt sleep after long hours of replaying in her head that infamous conversation and how she felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unyana = son.  
> Ndikhangele mna ndiyinkosi ngoku = I am now a king
> 
> Again thank you, and if you see something wrong lemme know.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you and enjoy.
> 
> Edit: 7/27/2018.
> 
> I apologize for the double posting in this chapter. I just fix it. Please read and enjoy, if you feel like it, leave Kudos and comments. The feedback is everything to me.

He liked to believe he was good at many things, but he was excellent in a few, one of them was compartmentalization. When he set his mind in something, everything else loose meaning unless it was going to help towards his goal. He was also good at recalibrating, if he felt something was no longer of value to him, he didn’t waste his time pondering whether it was necessary to get rid of it or not. He learned the hard way to look the other way and save it for later, whenever he felt something, or somebody had wronged him, he was able to swallow his feelings and emotions for as long as necessary and unleash them when convenient. This type of discipline, as he liked to call it. It took him where he was now. He readied himself for this moment since the day he set his mind to it. He was polite when he had to and rude when he wanted to. He was fourteen when he decided he was going to stop fooling around and applied himself in school. He remembered it was a year into living with Mrs. Simpson, after the last time she got him out of Juvie. She gave him a long speech in how he had such potential and he was wasting it. Culminating with “I bet your father would have expected more from you.” From that moment on he knew why he was still alive for. To achieve what he father couldn’t.

He had applied this discipline to every aspect of his life, in school, in M.I.T. the military, acquittance, women.

In school, he studied hard to advance as much as possible. During his years at MIT, he continued to study hard, spoke his mind only when he felt like if he had an encounter with somebody that wanted him to feel like he didn’t belong there he beat that person in every aspect, in and outside of the classroom. By the time he entered the military he learned to obey and then learn to command, he charmed people with his words and made him fear him with his actions, all these times keeping his emotion in check, countless were the instances somebody went out of line and called him names or did something to offend him, at the moment he acted nonchalantly, and then when the time was right that person regretted his action to the bitter end. With acquittance, well he would charm them to hell and back to get what he wanted, speak the right words, did the right thing. If he ever felt he was getting to attach to a woman, he would disappear without leaving a trace, he would forget everything about these women and move on with his life and then8 and he concluded that they would stall him or distract him from what he really wanted. After all, his desire for revenge has always been stronger than anything else in his life. That’s why when he felt his skin shiver after the Princess breath mingled with his neck he recoiled himself from her, as his brain was unsuccessfully trying to label the emotion and for the first time in many years he was not so sure of himself.

He wasn’t alone in this situation. He had watched her face when he suggested the spanks. All the confusion of the mixed emotions writing all over, she was questioning her own sanity. He loved it, more than he should.

He was holding a meeting about the Wakanda border, apparently, some paramilitary force was reaching Wakanda’s borders.

“We can always use a distraction to make go around, make them believe that there’s nothing here to see.” W’Kabi intervened, interrupting N’Jadaka from his line of thought.

“Why can’t we just eliminate them?” He finally asked returning his full attention to the subject at hand.

“My king.” Okoye spoke, “According to the information we have this is only a future military outpost if we eliminate them it will only arise more attention to this region.”

“They will only send more people.” W’Kabi finished.

“We can kill’em too.”

He saw Princess reach for the glass of water in front of her and muttered a word.

“What was that?” He asked.

Everybody started to look at each other in confusion, except for Shuri who went back to her pad. She sat at the end of the table away from him, facing a window whenever she wasn’t glued to her pad.

She continued avoiding the question, she was scribbling something.

“Princess. I asked you a question.”

She turned her head to look at him, with a deer caught by headlights look, he knew she was faking.

“Pardon?”

“I asked you a question. Perhaps you should come closer.”

“I’m fine here." She replied. "What did you ask?”

“You mumbled something between your teeth.”

“When?”

N’Jadaka was half amused half irritated. He was twelve all over again playing mind game in middle school.

“Cut that shit Princess, you said something.”

“I didn’t say a thing, but I, for once, agree with W’Kabi here” She scoffed. “I think it’s better if we use a decoy to send these people around Wakanda and avoid the unwanted attention by killing them.” She firmly said, sounding authoritative.

From the moment she started attending these meetings she had always sat close to him. Sometimes next to him, but this was the second time she chose to be as far from him as possible, and it wasn’t only at the meetings. For the last days she had changed her schedule working in the lab. She would spend the whole night working in the lab and slept during the daytime, every time he entered the lab, five minutes later she had an excuse to leave, whether she was tired or there was nothing she could do that day. She skipped all the meals or simply disappear for hours.

He didn’t like the way this situation was irritating him. He had more questions about Wakanda Technology, and she was nowhere to answer them. He understood better when someone explains it to him that reading it from a book.

He concluded the meeting and watched how Shuri was the first one to leave like her ass was on fire. He let her be, for the time being, he still had to talk to W’Kabi of the paramilitary situation.

It was late at night when he thought he would find her in the lab, and he was right. She was nose deep into her computer. Her face was starting to plunge into the screen. She was not used to her self-imposed change of schedule. She was about to collapse when he caught her.

“Shuri, wake up.”

She was half asleep when she opened her eyes to look up at him. The moment she realized he was holding her she completely woke up and gather herself away from him. “Thanks.” She reluctantly said.

The irritation that he formerly felt became an annoyance.

“You need to sleep and get yo ass to work during daytime. Otherwise, you just wasting my time. Ain’t for wasting my time.”

“I don’t care about your time.” She spat out.

“So that is your plan Princess? To stall me if you can? For how long? Don’t you think I know how slow you’re working? Have you thought of the consequence?”

“I am NOT working slow. This is a process and it’s taking its time. And yes Erik.” She used his name as an insult. “I have thought of all the consequence and as long as you remain with your futile revenge we are all going to lose. Even you.”

She picked up her pad and went her way.

“You’d be glad to know that I have decided to go with W’Kabi’s plan.” She turned to study him for a while. She reminded him of himself when he was resizing people.

“I ain’t no hammer.” He didn’t know why he said those words, but he didn’t like the carelessness her face had. Shuri turned away from him and kept walking forward.

______________

Erik followed her, he had no idea of the existence of this place, but then again there were lot things he didn’t know about Wakanda, he guessed he had to do better homework.

It was a beautiful lagoon with trees all around, the water was crystal clear and he can only hear nature, he understood why she would run to this place. Her lab could be a very clinical and sterile, this was exactly the contrary to it.

Princess was currently floating in the water. She was wearing nothing but her underwear, she didn’t plan this, because she clearly wasn’t expecting company.

Her eyes were closed as her body drifting around without any direction. She looked so peaceful, it was a sin what he was about to do next.

He took his shirt and shoes off and set them aside. Making little noise as possible he went into the water and swam to her. He dived beneath the surface. This reminded him a little when he performed surprise attacks. He snaked his right arm around her and dragged her to him. Instinctively she screamed and used her arms and legs to pull away from him. He let go of her immediately and started to laugh. She turned around, her previous fright gone while anger settled down. Shuri stared at him for a little while, Erik noticed how she was trying to regain her breath, she swam a little further until she found the wooden ladder and held on to it to steady herself better.

All the while he was enjoying the show.

“So, Princess, this is where you hide?”

Shuri didn’t answer him back, just kept staring at him.

“Why did nobody show me this place?” He took another dive, watching from below the water how she kept her eyes on him. He resurfaced again and swam towards her one more, this time he kept his distance.

“I will assume that every time you disappeared for hours, and sometimes a whole day you were here, hiding from work?”

He had asked three questions and she hasn’t answered one, in fact, she hasn’t said shit so far, but the accusative look she was giving him said everything.

“How did you get here?” She finally spoke.

“Ya know Princess, you have this terrible habit of not answering my questions and when you do, you just ask more questions. I’m to be obeyed.” He said smiling.

“Did you follow me here?”

More questions, no answers.

“What do you want? Why can you just leave alone? Go away.”

“It’s been a while since I swam, not since I was in the academy, most of my missions were on land, and I had always liked swimming, so I think I’m gon’ stay here for a while and maybe I’ll come more often. What d’ya say, Princess?”

“I’ll leave.”

Erik saw her climb the wooden ladder. She was smaller than him in many ways, it surprised him that underneath the loose clothes she normally wore, hid a toned slender body with curves in all the right places. The white cotton underwear was soaking wet, it left little to his imagination, showing her perfect ass as she walked away from him. She cared more about leaving his presence than any sense of decency she might have. This irritated him a little.

A wicked smile crept up his face. He made a strangled noise and splashed the violently, sinking into the bottom. He resurfaced once again to scream.

“My leg.” He shouted. He knew it was common to suffer from a leg cramp while swimming. He sank into the water once again. He struggled for a while and stayed quiet for more time. Simulating he was drowning. He felt a couple of hands around his arms and over his shoulders. She yanked him up and heard her struggle to swim as she carried him to shore. She let out a low pant of exhaustion when she laid him on the ground and started to read his vitals signs, she looked for his pulse, put her ears in his face to hear his breathing, he was still holding his breath, he learned how to low his heart rate when he learned to use long-range rifles. He was so amused by the whole situation, it was hard for him to stay as quiet as possible.

Princess started to do CPR on him, he was having the time of his life as he sensed her trying to save his life.

“Come on.” She begged as she pumped his chest. She was pretty good at it.

He couldn’t handle it anymore and he let out a laugh, finally opening his eyes to find her looking at him in disbelieve. Her eyes were big and round as plates while the rest of her face was confused. This only made him laugh harder, grabbing his torso as he closed his eyes and sat up.

He heard the slap before he felt it, sobering him up. He raised his hand to his offended cheek, it didn’t hurt, it stung. As he opened his eyes he found Shuri’s face wet, but not from water, tears were streaming down her cheeks as sobs made her chest hive violently. He watched in silent disbelieve as she tried to calm herself down, she stood up hovering over him, which made him follow her movements with his eyes, regarding her more closely. He found her eyes looking down at him, as she wiped tears from her face.

“I thought you were… the Heart-shaped Herb juice doesn’t help against drowning…” Another fat tear rolled down her cheek. She clutched her fits and took a deep breath regaining more control this time. “If you even suspect that I am here, don’t follow me here.”

He stood up now, changing places, it was his time to look down at her.

“You tell me what to do now Princess? uh?”

“I need a break from everything and I need a break from you.” She almost yelled at him keeping eye contact.

He took two long steps and invaded her personal space. She was shaking, but she stood her ground and didn’t back down.

“Ain’t no break from me, Princess.”

“Fuck you, N’jadaka.” She said straight to his face, went around him to pick up her clothes and leave.

He wanted to stop her and keep her there in front of him. Watch all her emotions as he put her in her place for hitting him. He should have done that, there must be an unwritten law about hitting the King and its consequences. Maybe he should keep his promise and spank her for her transgressions, but he was rooted to the ground in part for her bravery of actually slapping him and part for all the emotions she displayed afterward.

_______

He was in the middle of thoroughly fucking the woman currently beneath him, with each thrust she whimpered and moaned his title. He liked that. He grabbed by the hips as he continued his pace until she orgasmed again. One of his favorite things to do was watching the woman he was fucking, spasm in pleasure. As he watched her, he only saw a pair of eyes looking back at him with anger. It was three days ago since he had the encounter with Princess and her tears and slap still haunt his thoughts. He found himself, more than once touching his face where she slapped and remembering how it stung. He stopped short what he was doing, and she complained.

“Turn around in all four.” He commanded. She obeyed, wiggling her fine ass at him and he smirked. So tempting. He caressed it for a while before spanked it. She let out a sound between a moan and a squeal and turned her head to face him.

“That hurt a little.” She said with a mischievous smile.

“Keep yo eyes on the wall.” He ordered.

“Fine.” She immediately did so.

She let out another whimper when he began to impale her again. He started out slow and began to increase the pace as he held still with one hand while the other traveled up her back until he found her hair yanking her head back, he was going faster now. Her cunt began to clench around his dick when he heard a knocking on his door.

Who the fuck was knocking now? He was busy. He needed concentration. The knocking persisted. He was losing his patience now.

“Goddamnit.” He yelled.

On his way to the door, he took a satin rob that laid in a chair and put it on.

“This better be good or blood is about run.” He shouted. Opening the door, he found six pairs of eyes watching him anxiously. Four he didn't mind and a pair he rather no to see now.

“My King.” Okoye spoke. “We need your help. A handful of the paramilitary soldier that were reaching Wakanda borders is closed now, maybe twenty minutes from it. All the deviations we arranged didn't work they want to cut through the middle.”

“Well, send someone to kill them.” He bit back. “Is that what you needed? My permission?”

“Actually, my King, we wanted you to take care of this problem.”

“Me? Why? Isn't that the job the Border Tribe?”

“It is my King, but for long years the rumor of a big feline guarding this has been spread out and is best if we continued it.”

He understood now. Shuri had informed them that he had activated the Suit and tradition dictated that the Black Panther takes care of thing like this.

He gave the Princess a pointed look. He held his gaze for seconds only to watch something behind him. The woman he guessed. She looked at him straight in the eyes.

“I'll wait at the lab.” She announced and walked away towards the lab.

Okoye and the other Dora Milaje waited for his answer.

“Fine, I'll do it.” He felt annoyed as hell right now, but at least he will get to test the Suit.

Erik waited for the Jeeps to come closer to the tree he was perched on. It was pitch black, not even the moon was out tonight. Only the jeep's headlights illuminating the path the soldiers were taking. The Suit night vision system allowed him to see everything. Of course, it was the better than the regular night vision goggles the army had. Deep dense jungle untouched by man surrounded him. The thick jungle made it a little difficult for the Jeeps to move. A man stuck out of the vehicle with a gun machine and lantern guiding the rest of the party to go forward. They were making a path as the tires crushed every plant in its way. Both jeeps were full of men, ten at least.

He jumped on the one leading the path and knocked the man to the ground with ease. He smiled. This made the men on both Jeeps stop and inspect what was happening. After a while of silence and stillness, they decided to look for his friend, so he struck the man in the back. Making him yell in the process. It encouraged the rest of them to star to shoot at his direction. N’Jadaka had his fun, so he moved towards them from their left side. He disarmed a two and left them on the floor, he didn’t know if they were dead or unconscious. As the rest of the soldier shoot his suit, it only managed to gain more kinetic energy, which he used to knock them one by one, walking to them with the grace of a Jaguar. Wait. He counted ten, where was the last one?

He saw him hiding behind one of the trees, as Erik ran to him, he began to shoot, all the bullet bounced on him except one that rose his cheek, this made stop for a moment. Fortunately, the man didn’t realize it but kept opening fire in his direction, but it did not stop him from going to him. He heard the voices of Shuri and Okoye telling him to retrieve, but he didn’t listen to them. When the soldier ran out of bullets began to run and Erik followed him until he got him up against a big tree. He produced a knife in his hands to stab him. Erik took the knife off his hand with a swift movement and bent it like it was tin foil and stroke the man in the face with his fist, making crumble to the grown.

“It’s over." He growled. Seconds later he watched as Okoye descended from the hovercraft to pick him up. He retrieved the helmet off his face.

“What the hell was that?” He angrily asked the General.

“Princess Shuri is looking into that.” Was all she answered.

Since they were close to the borders of Wakanda it took less than two minutes to arrive at heliport above Shuri’s lab.

He founded her nose deep into one of the computers hitting the keyboard furiously.

“What the hell was that, Princess?”

She stopped what she was doing and turned to watch him.

“What the hell what? We told you to retrieve. You didn’t listen.”

“I was shot in the face.” He yelled at her.

“Again. We told you to go back, but you wanted to pursue him.”

“Sir, you should have listened to us.”

“You can tell me what to do General.” He said to Okoye.

“You are King now is my job to protect you.” Okoye said firmly.

“This has never happened before.” Shuri said.

Erik was getting even angrier by the minute. The two women were screaming at him for something he had under control, he was never reckless.

“General, take your leave.” He told Okoye and reluctantly left.

Shuri was about to leave too when he stopped her.

“You stay Princess, you gon’ figure out what the hell happened.”

“What happened was that you didn’t listen.” She yelled at him while she pointed at him with her finger.

“That ain’t point. The Suit was supposed to protect me.”

“That’s not point?” She asked in disbelieve. “Do you have a death wish?” She asked. Was she still mad at him for what happened three days ago in the lake?

“You are bleeding.” She said now in a more softer tone. “I am running a test on the Suit to discover what failed.” She continued as she looked for something in one of the drawers. It was a small glass container.

“Sit” She commanded him, and he did, he sat in one hover litter. She opened the container and spread a small portion of the substance on his wound.

“It stings.” He hissed.

“Does it? Good. Next time you go unprotected against bullets you’ll remember that?" She smiled tight to him. He couldn’t help to smile back at her.

“Look at you Princess, worrying bout me.”

“I worry about the optics of you dying wearing my Suit.” She cut him.

“Right.” He continued smiling. At that moment the computer where she was working before started to beep.

“I think the test is done.” She announced going back to the computer.

“Ha. I knew it. It was your fault.” She accused him.

“My fault?”

“When you were tinkering with the design pattern of kinetic energy you disable the self-repair system of the helmet. You put yourself in danger so can look pretty.”

“Can it be repaired and still maintain the pattern I gave it?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Shuri turned to him again. “You know what, since this was your doing, you will repair it. Perhaps this way you’ll learn not to go around doing things in complete disregard of how your actions are going to affect other people.” She spat at him with her nose in the air.

He caught all the meaning layers of her words but decided to address one.

“You think I can’t do it, Princess.”

“I think the opposite, to don the Black Panther habit one must make one, you’ll just have to repair this one.”

“Jaguar.”

“What?”

“There ain’t no Black Panther no more, Shuri.”

“Jaguar then.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read and enjoy.

Erik had spent most of the morning asking her questions. As smart as he was, there were so much that he didn’t know and for the most part she was glad to answer his questions. It felt pleasant to have someone to talk to. She hoped for the time when he gathered all the knowledge of Wakanda technology, so they could have a real conversation and explore ideas, instead of him absorbing whatever she had to say.

She had told him to repair his suit, the Jaguar Suit as he called. She hasn’t met somebody so reckless in her life, she wondered how he had made it alive in the Army for many years. He got lucky the man he was up against had a bad aim. She was furious then and she was furious now, less so, but still. She was even more furious with herself, why did she care if he lived or die, she should be relief at the thought of him dead, it would make things better. This whole nonsense of taking over the world would end, and her brother’s death would be avenged, somehow. But the way she had reacted in the lagoon, trying to save his life and her care for him after he got shot, what the hell was going on? Bast was forsaking her. 

It had amazed her the range of emotion this one person could make her feel. She didn’t want any of that. She wanted to disappear for days, no weeks. She wanted to be far away from as possible. She wanted to believe that he would be mature enough to respect her wishes of being alone whenever she went to the lagoon. It was the only place she could be without his presence lingering and now it was tainted too.

His station was right across from her. She knew he was hunched over his station, with his glasses on, coding away because every time he asked a question she had to turn to face him. Every now and then he would stop and make strange noises or change the music he was listening to. Normally she like a quiet lab, it gave zero distraction from what she was working on. The music wasn’t loud, so it didn’t bother her, however whenever a particular verse he liked he would rap alone out loud, which distracted her further. She didn’t mind music, in fact, she liked a lot, but she liked her lab quiet. 

Around noon they heard someone of the people who work at the palace announce the lunch was ready, he immediately stopped working on the suit and started heading upstairs.

“Aren’t you coming?”

She wanted to say no, but her stomach had other ideas. It rumbled loud at the idea of food that she suspected N’Jadaka heard it. She sighed.

“I’m coming.”

They sat on the table, he, of course, was sitting at the head of the table while she settled in the nearest chair on the right. It was the hunger, but today meal was particularly delicious. She ate fast, and her hands were restless, she wasn’t playing with her food, but she noticed the need to keep her hands busy. She felt N’Jadaka eyes watched her with interest.

“You feelin’ alright?” He asked before he stuffed his mouth with food, her eyes lingered there more than it should. She looked down at her plate while she chewed when she swallowed she gave him a thin smile.

“Fine.” And kept eating. If she had to be close to him she would rather go back to the lab that way she could turn her back to him. She was about to stand up and leave when started to talk.

“Yo, Princess, I’m going to the States in a few days, do you want something?”

The question threw her back a little, what did care if she wanted something? 

“Nothing comes to mind right now.” 

“Fine, I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.”

Good, she thought to herself, the farthest the distance, the better. 

“How long will you be away?” She asked him.

“A couple of days. Don’t do anything stupid.” He warned her. 

She fought the need to empty her mind on what she thought stupidity was. Instead, she laughed hysterically. 

Pot kettle black. 

She kept on laughing as she left the dining room.

\---------------------

It was late in the evening when Erik and W’Kabi landed in New York. After they left the hovercraft parked in one of the safe house they have in South Africa, they took a connecting flight to New York. They were working incognito. It was simple gathering with a group of war dogs located in New York. They had several people infiltrated across the major cities of all countries masking as civilians. This wasn’t about passing information. He wanted to know the men and women who were about to fight for his ideas, gain their trust or in the worst-case scenario try to deduce who was going to dish first. Maybe he should do this trips every two weeks until it was time to display the operation.

The rented two room in a cheap hotel in Manhattan. He hoped W’Kabi could handle the level of discomfort of the hotel. The man might be a farmer in the borders of Wakanda, but he doubted he ever slept in such a shitty mattress.

Erik, on his part, was used to all levels of discomfort. He had slept on rocky ground of the desert when he was in missions in the middle east, as well as humid, mosquitoes infested places when he was in South America and some parts of Africa.

Tomorrow they will have the meeting, it was summer, so it was going down as a simple gathering among friends. 

It was mid-morning when they arrived at the to Smiths house. They played the part of a young married couple from another state, who moved into the city because the wife got a promotion in the big city. The husband had some kind of online marketing job and they were having a small party among friends. In truth, the couple, along with the other people in the house were rogue Wakandan war dogs, who like him were tired of the system imposed in the world and wanted to change it.

W’Kabi was the first one to enter, making a path for him before he went into the living room W’Kabi jumped ahead. 

“Bazalwana, dadewethu. Ukumkani Wethu.” W’Kabi announced in Xhosa. As soon as he entered everyone in the room took to their knees.

Erik watched for a while, savoring the moment. Sweet and sour at the same time. He was King, but he didn’t like the idea of his people kneeling.

“Stand.” He commanded. 

Introductions began. It was an amalgamation of people from young to middle age. They were twenty in total, it was small for now but, with recruitment, he was sure they will thousands in short time. The spoke to him about his ideas and he listened, he did. Not only on how he would approach the takeover but also their thought on the matter. He detected doubt in some of them, but he could quite know if it was about him or the whole idea of what he was offering. He would speak with them later. 

After finishing talking and listening came a more relaxed moment. The hosts brought out food and drinks. Erik could see the excitement on their faces. He would like to believe that is was not only because their King was sharing a table with them, but because of the mission they were going to embark on.

Much later, he pulled aside the hesitant person of the group. It was a young man, no more than twenty-three, he guessed. According to the information he had about him, he had only been on the field for about a year, he was passing as a foreign student from a country in Africa. He was tall and lean; his hair was short. He was wearing long black jeans and a blue sweatshirt with grey letters that read Columbia University. 

“Khari right?” Erik asked as he approached him.

“That’s right.” The young man answered him, awkwardly.

“What are you studying here?” he asked Khari.

“Biomedical Engineering.” 

“What did you study in Wakanda?”

“Molecular Biology. Yes, there are still many deceases we could eradicate.” He sounded happy this time. This boy wasn’t a complete warrior, he was more of a scientist, he could be helpful in another place rather than the front lines of a war. 

“True. What tribe?” 

“River, my King.” 

“Will you be honest with me?”

“Yes, of course, my King.”

“What do you really think of what we are doing here?”

Khari stood pensive for a moment looking at the glass he was holding.

“I will be honest as you asked me. I believe what you said, help our people, what I am not so sure is in the method.” He sighed. “Or maybe I don’t have the strength to do it your way. I’m a scientist who gathers information.”

“I got you. Not everyone is meant to be a warrior. You would be better suited in other areas when the new world begins I could offer you a place in the Wakanda royal laboratory.” 

The moment Erik said such words his eyes lighted up. Of course, it would. Unlimited resources with the most advanced technology in the world. 

“Think of the deceases you could help to erase from earth. Tell you what, I’ll be in touch with you and I will see if I can open a space in my agenda and I will give a tour through the lab myself.” 

“Yes, of course, that would be amazing.”

Well, he contained Khari's doubts for the moment. It irritated him that he might have to do this every time he went out on one of these trips.

As W’Kabi and him left the house. He wondered how this city and other cities would change beneath his rule. The Smiths said this was a friendly neighborhood with people living from all places. It certainly looked like it, not like the projects he grew up in back in Oakland. A place to stock unwanted people. 

“W’Kabi we are leaving tomorrow in the afternoon and not in the morning as we planned.” 

“Why?”

“We are having a little detour.”

\---------------------------

Shuri was sleeping when she felt a movement on her bed. At first, she thought it was her imagination, so she tried to go back to sleep when she felt a hand grabbing a foot.

She finally snapped her eyes open and turned to see a man sitting on the edge of her bed, she felt scared to death. 

“Lights up.” She almost screamed. 

N’Jadaka was sitting on the edge of her bed. she sighed in relieved, her heart was pounding fast, she breathed deeper to calm herself.

“Bast sake N’Jadaka. What’s going on?”

“Nothing Princess, I just came back from the States. I brought you something.” 

“Couldn’t you wait until the morning?” She said as she sat up leaning on the head of the bed. 

“What time is it?”

Shuri turned to watch the clock on her bedside table. He was using a black coat and black jeans.

“It’s four in the morning. What did you get me?” Curiosity was getting the best of her. 

Turning to see her he handed her a long flat white box. He was looking at her with anticipation and he had a strange gleam in his eyes. she shook her head internally and proceed to open the box. It was a grey sweatshirt with maroon letters. 

MIT.

“Is this yours?” She didn’t know where this question came from. She was going to say something to correct her verbal diarrhea.

“Of course, not, Princess, take it out and try it on.” 

She took the sweatshirt out of the box and let the satin sheet rolled down her body, she was wearing a short pajama. It didn't cover her legs. She was never the kind of person who would felt embarrassment showing skin, but as she felt N'Jadaka hot gaze in her, Shuri felt a little too aware of her legs. 

She was standing on the bed as she put on the sweatshirt and only one question came to mind.

“Why are giving me this?”

“Well, you went to MIT, and while you were away I roamed your closet and I can’t remember seeing one of those, it’s a good school you should flaunt it.” 

Now she was completely baffled and suspicious.

“Is this some sort of apology for roaming my closet?” She asked.

“No, it’s a thank you.”

Ok, now she was even more confused. “For what?”

“For what you did the other day?”

More riddles Shuri thought. She would play along, she wanted to see where this was going. 

“What did I do?”

“You know, you tried to save me.”

“So, it is an apology.”

“No, it ain’t.”

“Yes, it is.” 

“No.” 

“Yes. You see, you weren’t really dying, so I didn’t help you." She huffed. "By the way, you suck at apologizing”

His eyes were two sleets now, but it wasn’t rage, but embarrassment. 

“Give me the sweatshirt back.” He spat at her. 

“No. No. This is mine and I like it. But since you’re offering I still want an apology. A proper one.” She was smug, but she didn’t care, it was likely a thunder to strike her inside her room than hearing an apology from him. She had nothing to expect. 

He was looking up, staring at her. The way he was doing it told her that he couldn’t believe this was happening. She immediately deduced that he hadn’t done this in a long time. Still, she was going to push this button further. She put her hands on her hips. “Well.”

“I am…” He was struggling. “I apologize.”

“Good.” Not enough. “For what?”

“Don’t push it, woman.” 

“Don’t push it?! you are telling me not to push it. You? You are the most reckless person I ever met in my life.” 

“You are still mad at me over a prank.” 

“A prank?” Shuri mouthed. 

“You made me believe you drowned and three days later you jumped in front of a bullet. You are reckless. N’Jadaka.” She was screaming now. 

“I thought you would want me dead. You would be Queen and stop my plans altogether.” 

“You haven’t thought anything through, have you? If you die, I wouldn’t be Queen immediately. There would be a new challenge day for the throne, I didn’t finish my training. Maybe, out of respect for my family, no one from the different tribes would fight me. But there’s M’Baku, who is three times bigger than me, he would defeat me easily, no matter if I were a Dora Milaje myself. Bast knows that if he had his way he would turn the clock on Wakanda all the way back to the middle age.” She was breathing heavily now, trying to control her sudden outburst. “You are King now, people depend on you. You can’t go around doing whatever you want, because you have taken the heart shape herb juice doesn’t make you immune to gunshots to the head.” She finished much calmer this time.

“Are you sure that’s what you are yelling at me right now? Wakanda? I understand what you said, but it doesn’t explain your tears when I was laughing at you. No, this is something else. Perhaps you care about me, Princess.”

If she felt upset before, she was angry now. She felt the heat rising to her face, and how her nose was flaring. She wanted to slap him again. How dare him? She liked to believe that she wasn’t a violent person, but he was testing that theory. Shuri lifted her right hand to strike him again, but N'Jadaka caught it mid-air by his left hand.

“Not again Princess.” 

“Out of my room.” She screamed at his face as she pointed out the door with his other hand. “Out. Out now.” 

He splattered a smug smile on his face. He looked like a cat that ate the canary. “Thank you, princess, for my answer.” He said releasing her hand. 

“Fuck you.” 

“Ha.” He laughed. What did it mean by that?

\--------------------------------  
The next morning, while she was in the kitchen talking with the cook about a pineapple dessert craving she had. N’Jadaka walked into it, giving the old lady who she was speaking to a fright. Not because he was King, Baba did it all the time, because he was getting into the tendency to wear the sneaker she had designed, and it was impossible to hear his steps. She held the old lady and sat in the closest chair giving N’Jadaka a smoldering look. He shrugged in ignorance. 

“Wear normal shoes. You are in the Palace, no one is trying to kill you." He narrowed his eyes at her.

“I ain’t buying that shit.” He said, and she rolled her eyes at this. Stubborn as a mule. 

“Your majesty did you wish for something?” The old lady asked as she stood fixing her white head scarf that concealed her hair. 

“Now that I think about it, prepare lemonade and put in some term to go and send it to me around five in the afternoon.” 

“Will do your majesty.” She said in a soft voice and continued to go about her shores.

Shuri was leaving the kitchen when N’Jadaka blocked her, putting his arm in the frame of the door. 

“No so fast Princess.” She felt last night smugness in his tone. On her part, she kept staring at the arm in front of her trying to avoid eye contact. She didn’t want to repeat the end of last night conversation. Shuri was feeling his heavy gaze the side of her face. He didn’t move his arm and neither did she. The silence prolonged more than she wanted. She sighed.

“Do you want something N’Jadaka?”

“See that wasn’t so difficult.” He took a step further, almost trapping her against him and the wall. 

“You will join me for something this afternoon, I’ll look for you at the lab.” She was about to retort his command.

“I ain’t asking you. I’m telling you.” 

She turned to look at him with a defiant look in her eyes. 

“Fine” She screeched. 

“Good.” He said without taking his eyes off of her. After what Shuri would describe as the longest second in human history, he removed his arm and left her through. 

\---------------------------------------------

Hours came and went as Shuri’s giddiness grew exponentially. What did he want now? She was thinking about a good excuse to give him. She didn’t advance the work at all today. When she arrived at the lab she did some sketches in order to calm, that didn’t work for long, so she grabbed her stress ball and squeezed most of the afternoon. She even took her lunch alone in the lab, which she ate with gusto, she cleaned the plate. The cook sent her the pineapple dessert she asked for, it was a small plate but with enough for two persons. She ate the whole thing. It made her think that lately, she was eating a lot. She jumped in front of the next glass she found and tried to outline her body looking for some sort of extra weight. She was wearing blue short pants that reached mid tights and a loose white blouse. Her favorite shoes, a well-worn pair of grey converse, her brother brought them from one of his trips. In her search, she found that he has gained a little weight. It showed more in her tight and her ass. She lifted her blouse to see if there were more weight in her belly when she saw a shadow standing behind her. Damn him and his shoes. She was going to destroy those.

“You look fine to me.” His expression was nonchalant. “Are you ready?”

Unable to came up with a good excuse she nodded her head. 

Shuri didn’t know why he chose to hike the hill when they had the Royal Talon for these purposes, but he made her climb up the hill behind him. From time to time he would turn and offer his help. She had told him early that no one wanted him dead, she was wrong, right now she wanted him dead. She understood now why he asked the cook for the jugs of lemonade. It took them over half an hour to reach the top. She grabbed one of the jugs that hanged in his back and took a gulp.

“Easy Shuri or you will lower your sodium levels too much too fast it could kill you.” He took the jug out her hand and closed it. 

She was breathing hard and shook her head. “No. I will kill you.”

He chuckled. “I thought you said no one wanted me dead.” 

“I do now.” She said panting. “N’Jadaka what are we doing here?” 

“You are here because I want to show you something. Look.” He directed.

She followed the direction of his hand and saw the Sun about to set. It was beautiful.

She found a comfortable place on the ground and sat. N’Jadaka stood in silence for a moment. 

She had already regained her normal breathing when he talked.

“My father once told me Wakanda had the best sunsets. He was right. It’s beautiful.” 

Shuri never paid much attention to the skies before, other than the possibility of sending a spaceship to do research. 

“Why are you showing me this?” She asked. 

“I sort of ruined your place. That small lagoon. And I wanted to show you my place. I come here from time to time. Ya know, to think.”

“So, this is an apology?” 

“Yes, Princess it is, the best you’ll get from me.” He sounded so sincere at this moment and so at peace. Not a trace of the anger he normally harbored. 

“Fine, I accept it.” 

They watched as the Sun descended to the ground, making the skies orange, yellow, blue and purple. It was a sight to behold. Why didn’t she notice it before?

“N’Jadaka you mind if I asked how was your life before… before you know?”

“Before what Princess.” He turned to look at her. She knew what he was doing, he wanted her to say the words.

“Before my father murdered yours.” The words still held pain in then. 

“It was good, we didn’t have much, I guess that Pops wanted to keep his cover as much as possible. I had friends, the kids from the neighborhood. He used to tell me stories before bed, about Wakanda and our history. He told me about vibranium and sunsets. We used to catch me reading his books in Xhosa all the time. He would give a lecture about why I shouldn’t go through his shit. But I kept doing it anyway. You could say I was curious. 

“Or just plain stubborn.” Shuri countered back half amused.

“Or that.” He confessed.

“What about your mother?”

He gave her a painful look mixed with anger when she asked for his mother.

“She went to prison and die. That all you need to know.” 

“How did she die?" She pressed. Gaining a hard look from him.

“You like to push, don’t you?”

“You could say that, but I am curious.” She threw his words back at him.

“Stubborn.” 

She shrugged. “So?” She continued.

“It was right after Dad was murdered, she got into a fight and she died from unattended wounds. At least that what the governor of the prison told me over the phone.” 

It was such sad story she couldn't begin to imagine what would be like losing everything at such young age. She had lost her Father and brother, but her mom was alive and she was old enough to fend for herself.

The sky was turning black and starts began to shine brighter. 

“I think we should go back.” He announced. She nodded in affirmation. 

She figured that climbing down the hill would be easier, except it was dark and she couldn’t see where she was stepping. Fortunately, her beads had a lantern in then. Still tricky though.

She shined her light up, by the distance from the top to where she was, she guessed they where half way to the skirt of the hill. N’Jadaka was walking in front of her, she tried to follow his exacts footsteps. He looked so effortless hiking down in the dark. She heard the crack of the branch she stepped and knew right away she was in trouble. Shuri slid passing N’Jadaka. She screamed but it was stopped short by an arm holding her by her waist.

“Are you ok?” He asked sounding too concern. 

“Yes, I am” She answered out breath. Her body was on the diagonal ground, she could feel the small scratches on her legs, and back. N’Jadaka body was right in front of her. She grabbed his shoulder. He moved, trapping her between his arms. His face came in front of hers, she was still panting. The cold air started to thick and got 7hot as he loomed in front of her. He could smell him, it was the musk scent mixed with something else she couldn’t quite place, but she has come to describe as masculine. 

“Do you want to stay here for a while to get yourself together?” He asked. His hot breath was too close to her face, her mouth turned dry. She closed her eyes for a moment. 

“Shuri?” His voice shook her up. Yes. She moaned, surprising herself. 

“Yes, what Princess?” He was so close she felt his voice rumbled through his chest when he said them.

“Yes, I want to stay.” She panted.

“Ok. Princess, we’ll stay.” He whispered into her mouth. He covered her lips with his. It was soft at first almost tentative. His lips were softer than she imagined, she joined him, her heart was beating frantic. She moaned into the kiss, he used it to invade her mouth with his tongue. He deepened the kiss as he lowered his hand to grab her waist again and she caressed her shoulders. Part of her brain was screaming at her to stop this immediately and the other was begging for more. This wasn’t the small pecks her mama caught her giving one of the youngest interns when she was sixteen. Eventually, he stopped to come out for air. She made a little noise in complaint. 

“Are you feeling better.” He asked. In the darkness, she tried to see his eyes.

“I don’t know.” Was all she could muster. 

“C’mon it’s getting late.” And he yanked her off the ground. He held her hand all the way down telling her where she had to step. She followed his instruction in autopilot. The only thing she could think now was in that searing kiss that felt such long ago.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you for the support. I hope you enjoy this. This chapter is shorter than the rest. 
> 
> Leave Kudos and comments. 
> 
> Thank you.

Day 1

 _What was he thinking? Was he out of his fucking mind? Erik Stevens, you need to focus._ These words danced around his head since the morning after he kissed Shuri. He was avoiding her, and he could tell she was doing the same.  
What possessed him to do such a thing. True to be told she was getting in his nerves lately. Telling him what do, giving him lectures on everything and most of all, she was taking forever to fix the fucking lab and the arms manufacturing process.

He couldn’t sleep well that night. He woke several times in the middle of the night haunted by a pair of soft lips. And the small noises she made. Her warm skin. It had driven him mad. It was a good thing it was dark, he didn’t think he would be able to handle to watch her face when they parted.

That morning he hit the gym and spent two-hour lifting heavy machinery and after that, he trained with every Dora Milaje he could find. Still, he wasn’t exhausted enough. Damn this fucking herb. His stomach rumble in hunger at midafternoon, he had something to eat. He decided he needed more sweat, so he gathered around some men to play some basketball. Engaging in a contact game with some sweaty guys will certainty clear his mind from any thought regarding the Princess, plus cardio help him to think. He needed a strategy to talk about what happened with the Princess, he didn’t want to have any kind of notions.

As he was guarded by a man twice his size he thought a direct approach would be best for the situation. The tall man took the ball from his hands and run to the hoop. He intercepted him halfway there and took the ball mid-dribble.

“C’mon, Y'all ain’t tryin’.” He yelled at the rest of the guys. It was a three against three. 

“Your majesty I regret to inform you we haven’t the Heart Shaped Herb juice as you have.” A tall man who looked beyond tired and out of breath. 

He was right. Erik looked around and the other five men were tired, and they have only been playing for half an hour. 

“Fine. Y’all can rest.”

After a long shower and headed directly to the lab to talk with Shuri. When he entered the lab, he founded empty and silent. her room was the next stop, but it was empty too. He asked around for her. No one could tell him a right answer. He went to the kitchen as last option, by her interactions with the old lady, it seemed they got along rather well. 

He found the old lady minding the dinner. He was wearing a different set of clothes, but the same white head scarf. There were two more young girls and a man who looked around his age. This time he made his presence notice when he knocked on the frame of the wooden door. He feared Shuri retaliation if he accidentally gave the old lady a heart attack. Wait. No, you shouldn't care what she thinks of you. 

As soon as knocked every stopped what they were doing to face his direction.

“Your majesty, may we help you.” The man spoke up. 

“Yes. I’m looking for Princess Shuri.”

“The Princess rose early today. The old lady began. She prepared a picnic basket. I think it was for two. It was a lot of food.” She clarified. 

“Well, thank you.”

“Is there anything else you wish your Majesty?”

“Nah, that’s it. Y’all can continue.”

They all went back to their respected duties. He wondered what the old lady meant by food for two. He didn’t ponder on that. He knew where she was and what she was doing. She was avoiding too. Good, but they still needed to have a conversation to clear any misunderstanding. If she was fact avoiding him, it meant she wasn’t going to show at dinner. Fuck, he’ll have to delay this conversation until tomorrow. He could always go to her room. Not that’s wasn’t a very good idea. A neutral place would better. 

 

Shuri hardly slept last night, around three in the morning was the last time she saw the clock on her nightstand. She wanted to stay in bed more time since she wasn’t allowed to lock herself in her own room she chose to wake up early and get away as soon as possible. she wasn’t sure if N’Jadaka was a man of his word or not, so she waged on it. she went to the kitchen when she finished her shower. Picked up a picnic basket and filled with food and drinks. She planned of spending the day on the lagoon. She needed time to think what her next step should be, but beyond that, he needed to process not what happened last night, but what’s been happening a few days in. 

There was the crying. Why did she cry? N’Jadaka was right. She should celebrate his death. Well maybe not celebrate, that would be too cold. But it should bring her some sort of atonement. Yes, it would unleash a chain of events she did not want to see. This train of thought brought her to other things she really needed to think through better. What was worst? Watch N’Jadaka wreck the world or watch M’Baku take Wakanda back to the Stone age?

She knew the moment M’Baku heard about N’Jadaka’s death he will at the gates of the palace demanding a challenge from her. She also knew N’Jadaka wouldn’t change his mind, she knew determination when she saw it. 

She wished her Baba and brother were alive. Why did Baba hat to kill N’Jadaka’s father? Why didn’t he bring him to trial? N’Jadaka would still feel resentment towards her Baba, but he wouldn’t have this delusion of conquering the world. 

Shuri let out a heavy sigh. She approached the lagoon, spread a blanket on the ground and set the basket on it. she took her clothes off, just leaving on her underwear and started to swim. 

There was an issue at the back of her head she didn’t want to think about it, but it was necessary.

What the hell was she thinking when she kissed N’Jadaka? He was the enemy, he killed her brother and he was forcing her to unlock the lab, so he could start to assemble weapons to destroy the world as its known. She didn’t want to think how good it felt, electricity traveling across her body as his lips swept hers. She got heated just thinking about it. feeling the need to focus on something else, Shuri swam across the lagoon. 

By the time she was tired of swimming the sun was setting. Memories came to surf one again, she needed a cold shower. It wasn’t until she picked up the basket that she noticed how light it felt in comparison with this morning.

It was dinner time when she arrived at the palace, she didn’t want to sit t the table right now interchange awkward looks. She told one of the girls that had the afternoon shift to please bring her dinner to her room, she alluded she wasn’t feeling very well. She kings room wasn’t as far as she wished it was, so when she was nearing her room she saw a glimpse of N’Jadaka back, freaked out by it she quickly got into her room, hoping he didn’t notice her. She sat in her bed waiting for him to come into her room. But it never happened. Right after she took a very cold shower, she heard a knock in her room. She jumped a little bit. Thankfully common sense came back to her. N’Jadaka wouldn’t knock. She was right. It was one of the kitchen maids with her food. 

Before she went to bed she resolved to get rid of N’Jadaka sneakers, she really needed to hear him approaching.

Day 2 

She waited for him to get out of the dining room. She was behind one of the columns facing the room. She knew that early in the morning he had meetings with W’Kabi or some other idiotic member of the council who rarely oppose him. So, he wouldn’t be heading her way.

She waited for him to be at a reasonable distance when she went into the room. She took the glass and scanned with her kimojo beads. 

She saw the mandazi at the table and took a couple for later. 

Once in the lab, she uploaded the handprint into the computer. She used the latex 3D print to make the skin while she filled a hand globe with nanobots. It would create enough heat to have a normal human body temperature. 

The only way to open his room was using his handprints. It was only in case of an emergency the doors of the palace would open without the need of identification, at least a biometric one.

As the days went by she noticed that N’Jadaka worked like a clock on a regular day. He woke up, had breakfast, no dairy product. Went to meetings, lunched, training, shower and then the library. That one she found odd. The kimojo beads had all the knowledge he needed. Somedays instead of the library he would go to the lab to annoy the hell out of her.

It was that moment when he took the shower that she made her move.

Once again, she waited, but this time, for him to go into his room. After a few decent minutes for him to go to the bathroom area, she approached his door, used the hand and as she expected the door slid open. The shower was running. She carried a bag for the hand and a regular pair of sneakers with no sound proof. 

The room was completely different than she remembered it. it looked more ostentatious. It had more decorations. Golden curtains hang from the ceiling to the floor, a dark wood four-poster bed dominated the room, a chaise lounge right at the end of the bed. A desk with piles of books right across the bed. there was another wooden table with more books a horned mask sat in a vibranium post. She felt the need to touch it, shaking her head she reminded herself why she was here and why she needed to hurry up.

She stood in front of several doors. The Closet. That hasn’t changed. She opened them all until she found what she was looking for. The blasted pair of sneakers. She replaced them with the one she had on her bag. She heard the shower stop running and she went into panic mode. Her heart was beating fast and her hand got sweaty. She moved as fast as she could and got out of the bedroom. Once outside she breathed a sigh of relief. 

Now onto the rest of her day.

N’Jadaka came out of the shower. He was getting a little anxious. It was the second day that he hasn’t heard a peep from Shuri. he got that she was avoiding him, but what other options than going to the did she have? She already went yesterday. He didn’t think she would come back today. This made him a little mad. If she wasn’t in the lab it meant that she wasn’t working, therefore she was delaying him again. He was thinking on getting a 24/4-hour nanny to make sure she was working instead of wandering about the premises of Palace. 

After he finished dressing up he went to the lab. He was dragging the conversation for too long now. 

There was no one in the lab. Damn that woman. Where the fuck was she?  
Increasing his pace with long strides he went to the kitchen again, this time everyone seemed to be aware of his arrival. 

“Princess took another basket of food today?” He directed the question to the old lady. 

“No, your Majesty. The princess didn’t show up today.” 

He stormed out of the kitchen. His long fur coat billowing behind. His blood was boiling now. Where could she be? She needed to be where he could find her and more important she should be working. 

Her room was the stop, but she wasn’t there either. She was at the lake for sure. 

It was a twenty minutes’ walk, but he headed to the lagoon, but there was no sign of the princess. 

Shuri lighted candles, one for wisdom, one for patience and one courage, she lighted incense and spread it all over the small temple. She took the jar with the bushu oil and covered her head and hair with it. it smelled fresh and earthy. She liked it a lot. All of this while she said prayers to bast.

The temple has been built many centuries ago. It was dark and silent. Peaceful. It was basically a chapter compared to the main temple located on the other side of the City, yet it ceiling was tall with ornamented skylights that let in little light. In the center, a statue of Bast made of vibranium. It was a real size panther in a sitting position, two purple sapphires for eyes. her mother told her once that the statue used to be the color of vibranium, but years of smoke from the incense had turned the statue black yet the eyes had remained clean all this time.

At first, Shuri ate up what her mother told her, later she would speculate about some servant cleaning up the eyes on a regular basis. Unfortunately, she never caught anyone doing so. Today she wanted to believe in miracles. 

She kneeled in front of the statue and prayed. 

After he asked almost every single living soul in the Palace he found someone who told where the Princess was. He found her sitting on the ball of her feet, in front of the Bast statue, her finger entwined in a prayer position. Murmuring softly in Xhosa.

He knew she could hear him. Midway the temple after he was finally pointed out in the right direction, he heard the sneakers, apparently, they were having a malfunction. 

He stood in front of her. 

“I know you know it’s me, Princess.”

“Go away I’m praying. She shushed him without opening her eyes. She continued praying. 

“Today is the second day in a row you don’t work in the lab.” 

“I told you to go away, I’m trying to pay my respect here.”

“Are you stalling me, Princess?” This question caught her attention. She opened her eyes.

“N’Jadaka I know you don’t have respect for traditions, but I do, for some. If you want, we can finish this conversation later. I am praying. Go away.” 

He fought the need to drag her out kicking and screaming. But in the back of his mind, he feared it would be too much temptation, because of what happened three nights ago. 

“Fine.” He growled. “But tomorrow I will have you up and working in the lab early in the morning and you won’t go out other to eat, to go to your room or if I ask you to. No more swimming in the lagoon, no more running around the Palace like a child.”

He left her the same way he found her, she never moved whatever she was prayed for, she really wanted it.

Next day he went he went to the lab she was already sitting on her station working. He approached her station and she kept on ignoring him. 

After a while a while of staring at her profile, she was pretty, she had high cheeks bones. She was wearing a shirt that hung low on her left shoulder that showed her slender long neck. Her bottom lip was fuller than her upper lip, she had a cute nose. Her skin was flawless as far as he could tell, and she had expressive eyes. 

He saw her eyes watching him sideways. She stopped what she was doing and turned to see him. She was watching with anticipation as if she was getting prepare for anything that could come out of his mouth. 

He pondered on weather oblige her and talk or keep quiet to see how long she would keep those eyes on him. 

“I wanted a word with you.” He finally spoke. “It’s ‘bout what happening three days ago.” She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “About the kiss.” 

“It should never have happened.” She quickly said. It irked him how fast she responded. 

“I agree. I don’t know what kind of shit went down, but it was a mistake.” He said trying to sway the annoyance he was feeling.

“We should pretend it never happened.” 

“I couldn’t agree more.” 

“So, it never happened.”

“Good.”

“Great.” 

“Fine.”

“Sure.”

“Yes.” He hissed. He saw her open her mouth to say something. Damn it why couldn’t she let him have the last word? She closed her mouth and gave a slide smile. Realizing this. 

As he exited the lab he heard her.

"Goodbye N’jadaka." 

Damn that woman. 

Shuri was in an empty room. She sat in a throne-like a chair. Light broke through the crystal windows. She stood from the chair and inspected the room; long dark curtains covered the walls. She heard a crisp behind her, turning to look for the noise she saw smoke coming from the other side of the room. One of the curtains were catching fire. She ran to it to put down the fire, but it only made the fire spread faster taking the next curtains. The fire roared in front of her, stronger this time. She saw the fire rapidly crept up until the tall ceiling began to burn. She ran to the farthest window and tried to open it. 

The windows didn’t have a lift to open it. she ran to the next window, but it couldn’t be open either. As the fire grew bigger she tried every window. But none of them open. She was going to die of suffocation by smoke if she didn’t open a window. She was starting to cough when she remembered the chair, she planned to use it to break one of the windows. As she moved the chair a big panther woke from a slumber. She never noticed before. the big animal walked to her slowly. Slowly without turning her back to the animal, she took a small step back. It came to her mind the one must never under any circumstance to run away from a big feline or give your back to it. 

The panther moved with grace, never taking its eyes from her. Its fur was black, the eyes shown in bright yellow. The paws didn’t make any sound as the beast crawled to her. 

As she took another step back she realized she was going to die. She was lucky if the smoke got to her first. Dying burning or been eaten by an animal could be painful. Using her eyes, she scanned the burning room again in search of something that could help her. Nothing. This was it she was going to see her brother and Baba on the ancestral plane, or maybe not. The smoke and the fire grow stronger than before. The smoke didn’t seem to affect the beast in the least. She took another step back; the panther took one further. The panther took a leap and jumped to her. The last thing she saw was golden teeth closing on her.

Day 3

Shuri woke up with a scream. She was sweating and trembling. She felt her lungs were on fire. Using her shaky legs, she moved into the bathroom to the sink opened the faucets, filled a glass and took a gulp of water. 

She looked her reflection in the mirror. Two baggy eyes looked back at her. She groaned. It was the first night in three days she had a full night of sleep and she had a nightmare. She was groggy. 

She dragged her feet to the dining room for breakfast. She took her usual seat and aimed for the orange juice. 

N’Jadaka was already seated at the head of the table. He looked like he slept like a baby. The idiot even smiled to her when she turned to look at him. two golden canines shown in the bright light of the day and she relived the last part of her nightmare. agh.

“Yo ass didn’t catch sleep last night?”

Her eyes throw daggers at him. “I see that the bullet that almost blows your face off hasn’t damaged your observational skills.”

“Damn Princess, harsh much.”

“Fuck off.” 

“Tsk, tsk. Such foul language for a Princess. Where are your manners?” he mocked like he cared if she had any. 

“They left the day you arrived.”

“You cranky and mouthy today.”

Shuri took a bite of the butter spread bread she had on her hand. She decided not to have a verbal spar with N’Jadaka. She needed a good night sleep and her brain wasn’t as sharp as she liked. 

“Okoye told me the rain festival begins in two weeks. She told me yo mom oversaw it. Her and some of the priests and priestess. But it was mostly yo mom. Okoye told me since water is view as a feminine force, the ceremony of the morning must be led by a woman.”

Shuri knew exactly what he was aiming for. There was no way in hell it was happening. She swallowed the rest of the bread. 

“You can ask the river tribe elder for one of their priestesses for that.” She countered fast. 

“Yeah, but what about the feast though?”

“Find someone to do it. I am too busy working in the lab.” She spat.

“Good.” He approved of her answer.

A long silent passed by between them. Aside from the fact that she felt wrecked at least things seemed to be back to normal. 

“I was thinking on inviting some people from the States. Some Wakandan around the world who support the cause.” 

“N’Jadaka, do whatever you want, I don’t care.” She stood and fixed herself a cup of coffee to go. She didn’t need this much of this man early in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer, also I have no shame.

After a few days, things went back to relative normalcy. Whatever that meant in these kinds of situations. Her schedule of working at the lab was restored. She was struggling between with the idea of delaying as long as possible or hurry everything up. So, he will no longer be part of her life in any capacity. 

Frustration ate her up bit by bit every day. He had rendered her stuck. In one hand she was enabling him with his plans, not because she wanted to, her hands were tied. She knew the moment she escaped he will get to her mother first. She would like to think him not being capable of killing her mother, but she knew better. Was her mother life worth the lives of millions? Just the construction of that sentence was giving her headaches. There was, of course, another solution to this problem. It could work, it should, she knew it would. So simple, it terrified her to no end. There will only be one more victim or two to this atrocity. 

It was an idea dancing in the back of her head for a long time now. The real question was. Did she have the mental complexion to do such a thing? One thing was killing someone in combat in the heat of the moment when your life was at risk and another was to murder in cold blood with premeditation. Shuri gulped the lump forming in her throat. Next was to deal with the consequences of that action. Wakanda didn’t have the death penalty but killing a King in cold blood was punished by death, it was the highest form of treason. Which let her to the other option and she really didn’t want to die. This train of thought was going to drive her crazy. Why was she in this position? In a million years she never thought she would have to deal with these kinds of questions. Choosing between lives like she was some form of god. At that moment right there, she hated her father for having such bad judgment. 

She did not want this type of responsibility, it was too much. It’s not like she just can sit idly, watch this madness unfold and do nothing about it. She would have to be crazy to do that. 

The idea of killing someone made her shiver, that person being N’Jadaka made her eyes watery. Her hands started to shake. She felt tired and old. She wanted to sleep and woke when all of this was fixed. She wanted her brother and her Mama back. 

And there was that kiss. _Why didn’t you stop him Shuri?_ Why did you cry when you thought he was dead? Wouldn’t it fix a part of problems? She ran her hand through her face. The headache was increasing. This was Stockholm syndrome without a doubt. She was starting to sympathize with her captor. Worst, she was getting attached to him. She needed to get away from this man as fast as possible. She was looking into a void with the purpose of understanding it. A long time ago she convinced herself that her best option was to stall him until a miracle happen. But what if that miracle never came to be? What will she do when the time runs out and she had no other thing to fix? She needed another strategy. 

She growled into her empty room. She just woke up and these thoughts made her want to continued sleeping. 

She looked at the watch on her nightstand, it was already mid-morning, with luck N’Jadaka had finished his breakfast and was in a meeting. 

______

She had no luck. N´Jadaka was sitting in his lab station, doing something with his jaguar suit. Music blasting the whole place. The pills for the headache she took early didn’t work and this was making it worst. 

Before she reached her workstation she took a deep breath several times. 

“You’re late.” He shouted above the music. She simply nodded. He didn’t sound irritated by it. 

After a few minutes trying to remember where she left yesterday, she turned to N’Jadaka.

“N’Jadaka would you please turn down the music a little bit? Please.” She shouted over the music. Even though she was shouting it his words sound as supplicant as she imagined them in her head by the look he gave her. She felt sick and old when he looked at her like that. He did comply and turned the music down.

“Thank you.” she said softly.

This small peace didn’t last long. By the time she relaxed he started to sing out loud again. She wondered if he was doing it to irritate her or because he like the songs. After a couple of minutes of this, disabled the sound system without a warning. 

“What the fuck?” She heard him. She continued to work as if nothing happened and he wasn’t in the room. A small smile crept onto her face. 

“You did this?”

“Did what?” she Feigned innocence without turning to face him.

“Shut down the music.”

“Yes.” Fuck. Let rain or fire come down on her. 

He grabbed one of the feet of the stool she sat on and pull her to him and turned her around with ease.

Her arms were crossed in front of her when he made her face him.

“What the fuck do ya think you’re doing?” He asked through greeted teeth displaying the two golden canines. 

“I turned off the music.” Shuri responded nonchalantly.

He leaned forward, invading her space. “Ain’t talking about that. You’ve been fucking around with a lot of shit lately. You keep telling me what to do, you yell at me, I know you change the sneakers, I don’t how but it was you. When you aren’t arriving late, yo ass disappear for hours, some days you do nothing, and you avoid me.”

“This wasn’t the deal Princess. Are you forgetting where yo ass is? Uhm? Are you forgetting what I can do?” He warned her.

She felt something snapped in her.

“What can you do N’Jadaka? You can do shit.” She answered with determination and anger. Her right foot found the floor and she managed to stand in her two feet while holding gaze with N’Jadaka. This took him by surprise because he backed up a little. Maybe like her, he wanted to see where this was going. 

“You can’t hurt my mother or kill me because if you do you can kiss your revolution goodbye. I just need thirty seconds and a hand full of code to shut this place down for good.” 

“We spoke of this before. You think I’m stupid.”

She shook her head. “No N’Jadaka. You don’t understand. The lab opened with my voice, my fingerprint, my heartbeat, my biometrics, my DNA.” She sounded cold and dark. She took two steps forward. “This place is attached to me. If I leave for three days straight it will shut down again.”

She felt triumphant watching the look on his face. He looked like the carpet was moved from his feet while he was standing on it. She smiled big. 

“That’s right irritating bastard. You are as tied up as I am.” She laughed. It sounded more maniac than glee.

He grabbed by her hands and dragged across the lab. Midway through it, she stopped laughing. “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see.” He barked.

She started to wrench out of his hold, used her feet to make him stop, it only seemed to fuel him, because his grasp on her hardened making her wince, he pulled her forward with more strength. 

“Let go. You bastard.” She struggled all the way. 

“You gon learn who is charge here.” He barked again with a hint of mirth. “You remember those spanks I promised you. Yo ass is getting them now. I might not kill you. Shit, with that brain of yours, what a waste it’ll be. But what I CAN do is give yo princeling ass a lesson.” 

Every alarm in her head went crazy, no one in her life have ever given her a physical punishment. Not even when she was eight and accidentally set one of the intern’s hair on fire. Or when she was thirteen and escape from the Palace after her Baba didn’t let her study the properties of Vibranium on cold fusion. She had only received a long admonition from her Baba and a whole month without using the lab or going outside of her room unless it was strictly necessary. 

“Please, N’Jadaka don’t.” She begged.

“Don’t? You think you can speak to me like that?” He sat in one of the hovering stretchers and placed her across his lap facing down. She was so horrified by the idea she went completely still, she even stopped breathing one second later she was trembling. N’Jadaka must have sensed her horror. He sat her up in his lap holding her waist with both hands. It was the second time he held her there and the first time they touched since they kissed. 

She was straddling him, his face a few inches away from hers. She couldn’t obviate the heat on her skin where he was touching her, how his respiration hit her face or the intensity of his glare seeing her eyes. A small smirk creeping into his face. She remembered the panther from her dream. He and the animal had the same expression, the one of a predator about to eat its prey. She blinked, and everything looked as if the time slowed down. She became too aware of him. His eyes became darker, his thumps were drawing circles in the exposed skin above the waist of her shorts. Her breathing was heavy, and her heart rate accelerated. 

“Princess.” He spoke, breaking the trance she about to enter. “You might be right, we both tied up. To each other, of all things. But remember I am King and unless you challenge me and defeat me you’re bound to my command while you’re here. If yo ass wants out, go ahead. I’ll have fun chasing you.” He gave her lopsided smug smile and leaned forward a few inches, making her heart to stop.

“Now you look stress, perhaps you should get out of this lab for a few hours a day. Talk to other people. I told ‘bout the Rain Festival and you said you didn’t give a shit. Guess what, you be giving a shit now. This afternoon you get yo ass to the preparation meetings.” 

She wasn’t in the mood for festivals and he knew it. She narrowed his eyes at confused by his orders. “Why do you want me to stop working in the lab I thought you wanted things fast?” She asked. She wanted to know what excuse he was going to come up with.

He noticed her defiant and fasten his hold on her. “Because I want to.” 

_Domineering bastard._ She thought to herself. 

He must have read her mind because he pulled her forward to him. she released a whimper. She put both her hand on his shoulder to stop her from getting close to him.

“Do you understand?” He greeted in a low growl. 

“Yes, fine. Now release me.” 

“No princess. you release me.” She looked down where his hands used to be, but they were no longer there, they rested on his side. She was the one holding him in place. Shuri slowly removed her hands from his shoulders and stood. He stayed sat on the hover-stretcher. She started to walk away from him, she still could his hands on her waist. 

“You better obey Princess or else.”

She didn’t dare to turn around, but she could feel his eyes boring on her.

In the African diaspora and some parts of Latin America Yemoja was regarded as a goddess. A creative force and a nurturing mother, queen of the sea and protector of fishermen. In Wakanda, the great goddess was reduced to some sort of nymph. She represented water and life. Every year before the rainy season began wakandans held a ritual of blessing the earth and the crops and of course if there was a new ruler on the throne, he or she must receive a blessing from the person who represented Yemoja. This ritual in all from a scientific point of view was the cycle of water. The woman who took on the role ascended from the river with jar clay and pour the water on earth and went back to the river where she came from. It was a creative way of explaining how nature work. 

Late in the afternoon, a feast was held to show the fruits of last year blessing. The feast ended with a rainmaking dance perform by mostly women. 

Now here she was, surrounded by priestesses of the all the different tribes of Wakanda. Of course, this was all about logistics and organization, so she doubted she had any great input on the matter. She mostly stayed quiet while other people talked and decided what to do this year. It wasn’t as if it was going to be any different from previous years. They had to organize the feast, decide who was going to be the embodiment of Yemoja. What dishes were going to be served, which depended in which harvest was best during last year. Her favorite year was strawberry, her least was cauliflower. She internally gagged just remembering the all the dishes she ate. 

This year best harvest, fortunately, was passionfruit. 

“Well, this year we can’t do much. We best just use Passionfruit for desserts only.” An older woman chimed. “We can make several of them. We will have to add some papaya and peaches to combat the acid. Bast knows we all could die from acid reflux.”

The remark made the rest of the group laugh. 

“There’s also, of course, the seating arrangements. The King will sit at the head of the table. There’s not Queen this year.” 

Shuri turned her face to look at her. The old woman held her gaze with compassion in her eyes, but determination in her words. She thought of her mother, how cruel destiny was. “Princess Shuri should sit there then.”

“No, I won’t.” Shuri responded hotly. 

“Princess I understand your predicament. I do. But tradition and duty come first. You and King N’Jadaka are our last remaining royal. You have a nation to serve.”

Shuri let out a heavy sigh while frustration waved her insides.

“Besides you are the closest thing we have to a Queen.” 

_For Bast sake somebody please shut this woman up._

“For now.” A young woman wearing a blue head wrap said giggling. “The King said the sun will never set in the Wakandan Empire, at some point he’ll want to have children.” 

“What? Do you think he has someone in mind?” A much girl younger than her asked out pure curiosity. 

“Well, I know he does.” The young woman with the blue head wrap said looking at another woman who blushed furiously. She was beautiful, she had long braid black hair, an oval face with full lips and sultry big eyes. Her skin looked like silk mahogany. She was sitting down, but Shuri could see a curvy body. She looked familiar, but Shuri couldn’t quite place her. 

“Let focus on the matter at hand we must not concern who our King chooses to warm his bed at night with.” The older scolded. getting the conversation back on track.

_Thank Bast she spoke._

Of course, she knew that woman from somewhere. The night the irritating bastard almost die. She was the one in his bed. Shuri got a glimpse of her face as she tried to move away from everyone sight.

“Now we must choose is going to be Yemoja this year.” 

Everyone spoke at the same time, which made almost impossible to distinguish what they were saying, she just heard a name here and there. Meanwhile, her eyes were stuck looking at the afore mention woman who blushed furiously at the idea of being Queen. As if. 

“I think Princess Shuri should be Yemoja this year.” A younger voice said out loud above everyone else. 

Everyone turned their head to the younger girl who spoke. It was the same girl who asked about N’Jadaka’s bedwarmer. 

“That is not such a bad idea.” The old woman agreed. 

Fuck no. “I don’t think so.” No. Shuri countered. “Why don’t you do it?” Shuri pointed at N’Jadaka’s courtesan. 

She put her hand in her chest as a sign of shock. “Who? Me?”

“Yes, you.” Shuri smiled with showing her teeth, seething inside. “What did you say your name was?”

“I never said my name.” She added confused. 

“No Princess she already too busy helping with all the arrangements.” The old lady interrupted. “You on the other hands haven’t offered for anything. If you are to be Yemoja, it would be the smallest thing to do. We all know you don’t want to do this and you are a very busy person. Showing up and doing the blessing will only take fifteen minutes at most. After that, you wouldn’t have to do anything else. Besides your mother was Yemoja one time.” She added.

This caught Shuri’s attention. “She was?”

“Yes, it was a long time ago. Your grandfather was King. Both Princes, T’Chaka and N’Jobu missed it. They arrived late. College. Your mother looked beautiful coming out of the water. We had a great harvest that year.” She sighed. “Perhaps you would like to fill in this role. You know she would be proud.”

“I doubt she would in this situation.” Shuri retorted. Letting everyone know about her thoughts on the current King. 

“Nonsense. She would. Besides, we already spoke about duty.” The old woman pointed out in a firmer tone.

Erik sat on the hover-stretcher for a while, watching Shuri go. After she left the lab he released a heavy sigh. He put his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face with his hands. _What was he going to do with this woman?_ He was driving him crazy in more than one sense. Erik was starting to think that in the long she was going to end up causing his death one way or another. By attaching herself to the lab she just had sealed her fate and his by proxy. There was no way that once she finished he would just send away. _Do you want that though?_

Speaking of wanting things. He was fortunate she kept him at arm’s length when shook her while she was straddling him, his dick was half hard. He really didn’t need to fuck shit further. _For fuck sake why her skin had to be so soft?_

He hated the way she turned into ice when he was about to spank her. Because he was going to. She was spoiled. But then she went still, and he felt how her temperature got low as if he was holding a hollow doll and he was disturbed at the thought of it. 

After he sat her on his lap and faced her he got to watch all the little reactions she had to him and his words and it was intoxicating. Her chest was heaving, her eyes grew wider, her heart racing non-stop and her cheeks turned darker. And lastly, her confusion when she realized he wasn’t holding her anymore.

“Shit, shit, shit.” He cursed. 

He pushed one of the beads of his kimojo.

“Hey, beautiful. Whatcha doing tonight?”

Do you want me to come over?”

“I want you to come aight.”

Zoya giggled in the other end. “Fine, I will she said and ended the call.”

He had an erection to take care, but it will have to wait until later.

They both were panting when he finished. She was on her stomach, spread on his bed with beads of sweat running on her body. Her long hair was fanning on the sheet. He watched trying to breathe normally. A small smile crept onto his face. 

“What was that?”

What? You didn’t like it?

“It not that.” She smiled devilish followed by a frown. “I never been on my hands and knees for such a long time and you didn’t let me do anything.” 

“Umhu.” Was all he said as he got out bed and moved around the room.

“It doesn’t matter, it was great. By the way, the plans for the Rain Festival are coming along nicely. I’m learning so much. You never know when this could come in handy in the future.” 

“Umhu,” Erik repeated. Why was she parroting so much? “Good.” 

“Umm. Princess Shuri agreed to be Yemoja this year. She asked me to do it, but the Uma told her she should do it.” 

“Princess what?” He snapped his face to her.

“She is going to be Yemoja. It was so odd. She looked angry when asked me to do it.” 

“To do what?”

“To be Yemoja instead of her. Are you listening to me?”

“Sorry beautiful I have a lot of shit to think, ya’know a kingdom to run.” Erik replied fast.

“You’re right I better go. They are probably waiting for me.” 

“You do that or I ain’t sleeping tonight.” He winked at her. 

She planted a kiss on his lips that he forced himself to return. 

She closed the door behind her as Erik paced naked in his room. Why would the Princess be mad at Zoya?

 

A week passed, and it was finally the day of the Rain Festival. According to W’Kabi, he didn’t have to do much. Designated people will take his offerings to the nymph. 

All that who wanted to attend to blessing was welcome, but only a few were invited to the royal feast. This year he a King so he had to bless too. So, it was not odd that the cropping field near the river was surrounded by a lot of people. It seemed that all Wakanda wanted to be here. 

He had invited a few people to come with his party. All the elder, of course, W’Kabi, Amani, and Khari, as well as the rest of the Dora Milaje. 

It was a special occasion, so everyone was wearing full regalia of their stations and tribes.

He wore the crown around his neck and a ceremony dress that showed his right torso and chest black with golden decoration with a panther mask in his head. 

The priests and priestess of Bast, whom he was sure as hell were still mad at him for burning down the Heart-shaped Herb began to pray to initiate the ceremony. The reason he was allowing all this shit was that he understood that changes didn’t come in the middle of the night, it was a progressive thing, besides this shit was harmless. 

After the prayers were finished, children under the age of ten began to place his offering on the river shore. All kind of offerings. Scented candles, flowers, river pearls, all kinds of spices Vibranium coins, honey and fruits. All of this to lure the nymph out of the deepness of the river and had her blessing. 

They waited for what it looked like long minutes. Everybody was expectant, more minutes passed, and people began to murmur around him. If Shuri didn’t come out in the next minute he would look for her himself and it wasn’t going to be pretty. 

The first he saw was her head coming out of the water. Her hair was loose in thin dreadlocks. A small white river pearl crown with white pearl covering her face completely. She was wearing many long river pearls necklaces of all colors that covered her breasts. Between her left arm and her hip, she carried a small clay jar. A long white, now transparent for the water, skirt with high slits showing skin when she walked covered her from her hips down. The whole attire or lack of it displayed all her well-placed curves leaving little to the imagination. 

“Beautiful.” Amani breathed out loud who was standing next to him. If the rest of his party had similar thoughts, they kept them to themselves. 

Shuri began to splash the fields with the water on the clay jar. She did it as walked toward him. Occasionally when the pearly curtains move he could catch a glimpse of her face. It was neutral expression. She was getting closer to him and he was debating between using his garbs to cover her and carry her away from all the prying eyes, beat the crap out of Amani who kept breathing hard or just let the whole ceremony continue. 

She stood right in front of him. The motherfucker was right, she was beautiful. She looked up at him and dipped her hand in the clay jar, a second passed and for a moment there were just the two of them.

She grabbed the jar with her right hand and for a split second, he thought she was going throw the water in his face. Instead, she pressed her wet hand against his face clawing her nails across hard enough for him to feel them.

She was going to pay for this and for the hard-on she just gave him. He caught her eyes between the pearl and made her a silent promise. He looked down between them to see if he was making an embarrassment of himself in front of everybody. Thankfully the tightness of his boxers didn’t go further. 

Every single person close to him saw what she did. She liked to play with wildfire. Later he’ll see how well she could handle the heat. 

She turned to go back from the waters she came out. 

“That was intense.” Amani said in a mocking tone.

“The princess shouldn’t have shown such disrespect.” W’Kabi added.

“That too.” Amani half chuckled. 

This nigga was dead, but he wasn’t aware of it yet. Erik looked at him through narrowed eyes. He needed his father support, so he will handle this closed door. Erik smiled with smugness at him and Amani smiled back at him. Was he so dim he didn’t realize his days were few?

The ritual was over. Everybody went back to their houses and districts to continue the celebration at sundown. 

______

Shuri reached the shore, her scuba gear on her back. Two women were waiting for her with towels. The show was over. She hoped not to do this again. She thanked them for helping her and handed the scuba gear to one of them. Hopped in the hovercraft with direction to the palace.

Once in her room Shuri started to undress, the first things to come off were the pearls necklaces and then the skirt, if one could call it a skirt. It was a flimsy piece of fabric that went transparent as soon as it hit the water. She was practically naked while performing the ritual. With all eyes looking at her. But it was N’Jadaka eyes who made feel the most exposed. 

Shuri didn’t know what took over her when she dug her nails on his face in front of everybody, but she wanted to hurt him. His eyes told her this disrespect wouldn’t go unnoticed. She remembered his words at the lab.

_I’ll have fun chasing you._

She sighed. Things were getting more entangled by the minute and she didn’t like it one bit. 

 

The feast was to start at seven in the night, so she still had a few hours to kill before starting to get dress for the event. She decided not lab for her today, so she watched a movie to take her mind off things.

Keeping with the same color of the ceremonial dress he wore earlier, for the feast he wore an all-black suit with the Jaguar collar. His locks were recently done. He looked handsome.

On her part, she wore a deep purple open back top, tied up in the back of the neck with a silver embroidered symmetric pattern. A long black skirt. She wondered how she was being disrespectful with her choice of colors for the evening. Her hair was loose, regular and tribal makeup on her face.

She knew she arrived late because N’Jadaka was making the announcement to sit at the table. He sat at the head of the table as it was planned. She sat at the end of the table. To her right was one of the daughters of the merchant tribe and on her right was a young man she never saw before. He was sitting but he could see that he was way taller than her, but had a slender frame, he wore a dashiki shirt. 

He turned and smiled at her. She smiled back trying not to be rude. He elbowed the man sitting next to him. It was one of the elders. He turned to watch the young man and gave a smile.

“My apologize, Princess, I’m afraid you arrived a little late.” The elder spoke. “You missed the introductions. This is Khari. He is from the River Tribe. He is a guest of the King.” 

“Nice to meet you Khari.” She greeted.

“Nice to meet you too Princess.” 

“Please call me Shuri.” 

“Will do.” He paused. “I must say I am a big fan of your work. Even if my area of study is not as wide as yours.”

“Hum. What is your area of study?”

“Biomedical engineering and molecular biology.” 

“That’s impressive. Organisms at its most minimal expression. What do you plan to do with that?”

“Study diseases, find cures.” 

Shuri smiled. N’Jadaka managed to invite a not power-seeking idiot. Good for him.

The food was being served by the staff. All conversations ceased for a moment. She felt hungry all the sudden. Everything was delicious especially the desserts.

Once in a while, her eyes would meet N’Jadaka, smugness on his face. She would look down and focus on her food or in some of the things the girl on her right spoke to her. She told her that she looked beautiful and that she was a wonderful Yemoja. 

Shuri also felt another pair of eyes looking at her. A man sitting two seats before N’jadaka. He was the same man who stood next to him earlier during the blessing ritual. If N’Jadaka stare made her nervous, this man stares made her skin crawl. 

The dinner was over, so the rainmaking dance was about to begin. The music filled the Royal patio and the dancers took at the center. Men and women of all ages moving to the rhythm, all dressed in white garments adorned with river pearls. Tribal makeup in all their faces. 

She tried to stay away from N’Jadaka when it was possible. She was sipping wine from a glass she took out of the main table, watching as the dancers asked for a fair rain for the next harvest season. 

“I must say you looked stunning when you came out of the water.” She was startled by this voice. She turned to see the same man who kept making the hair of her skin stand. “Who would have guessed what you were hiding beneath your baggy clothes.” 

She blinked in astonishment. “Pardon sir, but we haven’t been introduced and etiquette dictates you should only speak to me if I speak to you first.”

“Two things. We have already been introduced, and it wounds me you don’t remember me.” He said as he put a hand on his chaste mimicking pain. “And two, are you still a Princess?”

A rush of rage invaded her. How dare he question her station. The hold on her glass of wine tightened. Shuri wasn’t the kind of person who liked to cause spectacles, so she just walked away, but he followed her al the same. 

“I mean the way the King dispose of the rest of the family and I know for a fact that he only keeps you around to unblock the lab or whatever. What do you think is going to happen to you when you're done? He will dispose of you too. I could offer you a solution for that.”

He was caressing her lower back and Shuri wanted to vomit. She took a deep breath and turned to face him. She used her knees to hit his groin as hard as she could. The look of pain on his face was priceless. Shuri leaned into his and whispered.

“Don’t touch or speak to me again.” He just nodded in pain grabbing his private parts. 

“Sir, are you alright. You don’t look good. Perhaps something you ate didn’t sit well with you.” Shuri said out loud gaining everyone’s attention to them. One of the first to aide was N’Jadaka who took the man by one shoulder making him wince louder in pain. 

“I will personally take him to his room, so he can lay down, enjoy the rest of the feast Princess, I’ll be right back.” He looked mad as hell even though he was holding back. 

The rest of the event went by as a blur after that. She was watching the city lights from one of the balconies. She wanted to leave this day behind wake up tomorrow and pretend none of it happened. From being practically naked in front of everybody to the bastard who harassed her. 

“Princess.” She was startled again. It seemed this was the theme of the night and not passionfruit. This time it was N’Jadaka who was standing behind her. Far too close if you asked. 

“You and I need to talk.” He cornered her between the edge of the balcony and the nearest wall. His body was pushed against hers keeping her from turning around to face him.

“You thought I would just forget what you did to me this morning. Nah. Princess, you not only dug your claws on my face kitten. You also made my dick hard.” He spoke in her ear; his breath made her skin tickled send small shivers across her body.

“Don’t worry. I took care of it.” She remembered how he got rid of his erections and started to push her way out. “Wait, wait. Princess not so fast. I did manually this time. I already fucked Zoya for the last time.”

 _So that’s was her name._ He chuckled. “Jealous, aren’t you? She told me you looked mad at her when you asked to take your place at the ritual. It didn’t click in my head until earlier today.” He paused “What you must worry is how hard my dick is getting right now. You looked beautiful today, almost naked walking in my direction.” 

Every word he said sent electricity running to her stomach and lower parts. “But you had to wear those colors, right? Just to provoke me. I think yo ass is trying to get my full attention. Well, you had my undivided attention since Amani put his hands on you.”

She swallowed in fear. “Did you kill him?” she asked. 

“Nah Princess, not yet.” She felt relieved. She hated the man, but she didn’t want his death.

“I think he will never touch what ain’t his.”

He took a step back, she immediately felt the cold air and missed his closeness.

“He touched you here, right?” he said as he caressed her lower back. She nodded. “I will erase his touch off you. aight?” 

“Yes.” She read somewhere that cats rub against people and things to make a claim. He rubbed his face on her back as if he was imprinting her with his scent. As he descended her back, she wondered if she could apply the same logic to big felines. Shuri moaned in pleasure and wetness gathered between her legs.

“No saying my name yet huh? Let see if we can change that.” Her heart was racing at the thought of what he could do next. 

He walked to her room a few steps ahead. All the time he kept his hand on her back. He opened the door and softly pushed her in following her. As soon as they were inside he crushed his lips on hers. She held her head in her hands. Her brain couldn’t register anything else but him and his hands moving all over her body. Shuri moaned into his mouth, he deepened the kiss and his tongue moved inside her mouth with such passion, Shuri thought she might die tonight. She noticed he had walked to her bed when the back of her legs touched the edge of it. 

He stopped kissing her and she pouted even though she needed to breathe again. His lips descended to her neck and collar bones. He lifted her top and kissed her stomach. His mouth went up, lifting her top further. His lips found her right nipple. He suckled and bit it softly. She moaned louder this time. _Yes, she was going to die tonight for sure._ Either that or go insane. 

“Damn Princess you really gon’ make me work for it.” He said with ragged breath. 

N’Jadaka grabbed by her knees making her lose balance and stumble on the bed. Shuri shrieked in shock. He was hovering over her now looking at her lustful eyes. Her eyes filled with the same lust. He hitched her skirt up to her middle. Big calluses hands went up and down her legs until he stops in her in her hips. He kissed her hips and pushed her underwear down with his teeth all the way to her ankles. 

“You already wet for me, Princess.”

His tongue slid up her leg until her core. She left out a strangled moan. N’Jadaka chuckled. He sucked and licked between her legs. Never in her life, she had felt this. Not even when ventured down with her finger. Her body felt on fire. Too much pleasure. She grabbed N’Jadaka by his locks lifting his head. 

“Not yet Princess.” Locking eyes with her. The image of him looking her in the eyes while he pleasured her was going to stay with her forever.

He went back to lick and suckle. She felt a heat sensation building in her center, white shock took over her, her legs started to shiver. 

“N’Jadaka” She moaned as her body snapped in pure lust. Feeling lighter than ever he licked clean. She moaned again because of it. 

“You taste delicious Princess. I knew you would.” He laid next to her his eyes watching her every small move, still riding her high. 

She looked down his stomach and saw the tent on his pants. 

“Shuri” He called her name in a somewhat serious tone. “I want to tell you something, but I need you to be in your right mind. So, I’ll wait.” 

She nodded. 

“Speak.” She sat on the bed, her head cleared now.

He followed her movements to watch in the eyes, he lifted his hand to hold her face. He looked so serious.

“I want to make love to you and fuck you.” Shuri blushed furiously. He released her and stood in front on her bending to place a kiss on her forehead. “Maybe not in that order.” He pulled her skirt down and walked out of her room.

“Sweet dreams Princess.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still no shame.  
> Enjoy it.

He sat alone on the table, the breakfast displayed in front of him. It didn’t compare to the presentation of the night before. The hunger took over him in more than one way early in the morning. 

Aside from the shit Amani did last night he had a good time. He used it to strengthen the ties he had with powerful people in Wakanda and some high-profile war dogs around the world. 

It was dope event he had to admit that. There was, of course, Princess Shuri, whom last night drove him to madness. He wasn’t having seconds thoughts on the matter, just making an opinion of it. N’Jadaka was trying harder to understand why he was attracted to her. She looked nothing like the women he had before, not characteristic or physically speaking. It was true he like feisty women, but the kind of feisty to argue with him all the time. More like feisty in bed kind. Most of the women he ever been with were compliant to his wimps, and he liked that. Zero drama. To get her to do something he had to fight her to get it. 

Yesterday was like something inside him reach its boiling point. First, he got to watch her as if a goddess had manifested on earth. even in her anger towards to the whole thing, towards him, she looked ravishing. 

But shit really hit the fan when he saw Amani put his hands on her. He wanted to rip him in half. He summoned all his will not to kill him after he took him out of everybody sight. He did beat the shit out him though. N’Jadaka broke his wandering hand, he didn’t think the piece of shit would be able to use it for a time. It would get healed quick with Wakanda medical technology, but N’Jadaka made sure he remembered the pain. He promised Amani that if he ever looked a Shuri the wrong way, he was going to re-live the pain ten times worse and much slower. 

When he found her at the Balcony his first thought wasn't cornering her into it and kiss her back, as enticing as it looked. He genuinely was going to confront her about scratching his face in the presence of the entire Birnin Zana. But the smell of lavender she carried with everywhere filled his brain with lust, when his body was covering hers he could felt her warmth and that did it. It was an electrical shock and he was simply reacting to it. 

For fuck sake, her taste. It was the sweetest pussy he ever tried, and he wanted more. Her reaction to his touch was intoxicating. Every time they talk or argue she showed all these expressions on her face and body and last night Princess did not disappoint. 

When he told her, he wanted to make love and fuck her he wasn’t joking. He wanted to watch her reaction to both instances. He had jerked off three times in less than twenty-four hours just thinking of it. He hasn’t done that since he was in college. He attributed his over-enthusiastic dick to the heart shape juice. 

Shuri finally arrived at the table. He honestly didn’t know what to expect this morning. Was it going to be like the kiss that she energetically brushed aside and pretended it never happen? Would she lash out at him again? 

She silently sad in the closest chair to him and began to put food on her plate. Was she going to ignore him?

“Good morning.” She chirped with a brief look at him. 

N’Jadaka woke up from his mini trance and stuffed his plate with food. 

“Good morning.” He said back with less enthusiasm. 

What was wrong with her? why didn’t she have any response to what happened last night? He wanted to shock her. N’Jadaka hit the table with a glass of orange juice so hard he thought it broke. Shuri was startled by the loud noise. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked with worry.

“Nothing’s wrong. Princess.” He didn’t know what card she was playing now and it got him frustrated. 

She finished her breakfast and walked to the door.

“Princess come here.” He ordered in a neutral tone.

Her hand rested in the frame of the door while her eyes looked outside of the dining room. She looked as if she was debating what to do. She walked back to her chair and stood still waiting for him to say something. He extended his right arm and caught the hem of the skirt and pulled her to him until she was standing right next to him. 

Shuri still hasn’t said a thing. His fingers fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. He wasn’t touching her in any way, but he felt the warmth of her body and the lavender scent coming from her. His eyes were focusing on the fabric his fingers were touching. The remained a long while like that. The air grew heavy and electrifying.

“N’Jadaka,” Shuri whispered. He lifted his eyes to look at her. Waiting. “I have to go to the lab.” She stared at him with hooded eyes, filled with emotion. Cheeks flushed. 

“Yeah. But do ya wanna?” His fingers still playing with her skirt. 

She frowned deeply with a flare of anger. “You know the answer to that question.” Her voice was harsher this time. He knew exactly what she was referring to. She didn't want to give him access to the weapons, this was an issue they would fight forever. 

He let go of her skirt. Holding her gaze. He shifted his body back to the table in front of him. He heard her walking away from the dining room. 

He should not want to pursue something with her. In her eyes he was the man who killed her brother, was making her help him to achieve everything that was probably was against her nature. He wrecked her life and now he was thinking in sinking his fingers in every inch of her skin and watcher moan in pleasure, calling his name. 

\--------

Shuri sat in her stool mindlessly tinkering with a prototype she was working on but had to stop due to the absence from the lab. The computers were running a test in the whole accessible system, as fast as the test was, the interconnections of the system were dense and complicated, it was less to say it was going to take a long while. She wanted to know if what remained to be unlocked had any weak spots she could take advantage of. 

Her mind still debating in weather accelerate this process of slow down to its maximum. She wished she could put things, thoughts, feeling and people into files and never deal with them.

She was attracted to a monster. She had left him do wicked things to her, and the pleasure in it. Was she a monster too? Or just plain crazy? After a moment of pondering on it. She’d rather be crazy, that way she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions. A woman on her right mind would like to be in the same room with the man ruined her life. Let alone get flushed a thought of him touching her anywhere. 

But by Bast how good she felt. At the mere thought of it, her skin bristled, and small shocks of electricity traveled through her body, and her underwear got damp. 

She shouldn’t want him in any way. Why did she let happen? He asked permission to touch her and she said yes. 

_She said yes._

She hated the fact everything became blurry when he was near. He made her feel unsure of herself and her sanity. He had the ability to make her second guest everything. Not only her thoughts on her life but his life. She could understand the idea behind his intention even though she didn’t agree with him at all. Oftentimes whenever they weren’t bickering and have a good conversation where he opened about his life and what he must have been through she only saw an abandoned child who had to fight for everything in his life. A motherless child who needed love but had no one to offer it.

Whenever she dueled in N’Jadaka life she felt guilty and angered with her father and Zuri. He would have been a healthier individual if only his father were alive. Not this tyrannical man who seek a personal vendetta in the whole world. 

In a way she thought he was entitled to have his justice, but not from the world, most of them were innocents none wiser to what has been done to him. If someone should be held responsible for it was her father and Zuri. They were supposed to atone for the injustice committed. Were T’Challa and her responsible for this too? Was Wakanda? She remembered his words. 

_"Your brother knew who I was that day at the court, he whispered in my ear that blood was the only reason he hadn’t killed me yet. He knew who I was, and he called a peasant. And there is this place. Myth like. Literally inside a bubble, where the idea of watching what’s happening to the folks outside of it disrupt your way of life so hard that y'all turned blind to the point of leaving one of your own to suffer.”_

Were they all guilty of what happened to him?

Did they create this monster? With her father and brother gone, was it her place to right their wrongs? And if so, what should she do?

She understood then, N’Jadaka wasn’t just angry. He was sad too. All of him, who he was and what he did was a misleading reaction sadness. Some people focus sadness and anger into positive things. But then again, most people weren’t forgotten princes unfairly stripped out of all that theirs by right. 

N’Jadaka grew up knowing who he really was and what was taken from him. She wondered to what extent he had to endure humiliation or pain knowing he should have been treated differently not only because he was a person, but because he was a prince?

Can he be blamed for his resentment? A Prince without a crown. 

She promised herself she wouldn’t do this again. The only difference now, she didn’t care if got caught. What she was doing right now wasn’t strange to her nature. Not only for scientific purposes but also for personals ones. Not to mention when her brother asked her to do it, whenever he needed her help. Well, he only asked to do from the security of her lab, in front of a monitor never actually going herself to gather information. When she was younger she would do this to her own brother. Mostly near his birthdays, she wanted to surprise him with a meaningful gift. Sneaking into someone’s room to gather information was natural to her. 

_Information Shuri,_ just that. 

 

She should have disposed of N’Jadaka hand’s prints when she changed the shoes, but like most of her toys, she kept it. Temptation is when you have means to fall into her. 

The real question here was Why? She has spent the last twenty minutes looking for a rational answer as to why she was in N’Jadaka’s room. Again. 

To gather information Shuri. Duh. 

Yes, but why?

She stood in the middle of the room looking for a place where to begin. She didn’t know how much she had, she didn’t even bother to check where N’jadaka or if he was busy. 

She turned a full circle and her eyes stopped in the pile of books he had in his desk. Shuri walked to the desk and inspected the book. As he had told her before, most of them were history books. Other were philosophy books. So he liked philosophy. One caught her attention, it was old, and the title was written in Chinese. Besides several African dialects, she only spoke English and French and a little German. She asked her beads to translate the title of the book. _The Art of War by Sun Tzu._ Go figured. 

She heard the swoosh of the door sliding open. She reminded in the same spot, still going through the books as N’Jadaka walked her way. He stood next to and before he could say a word she spoke first.

“You speak Chinese.”

“I do.” 

“You also like to read philosophy.”

“Some philosophy. Not all of it.”

“Umhu. And like you said you like to read history.”

“I’ve never told you a lie. I think it goes with my promise to never disappoint you.” 

Yes. Bad guys never disappoint. 

She kept reading the titles of the books, Wakanda History, The French Revolution, The rise and fall of the Roman Empire and many more. The Prince, Napoleon the Great. 

She lifted her eyes from the books to look at him in the eyes for the first time in days. His eyes were boring hers. He hasn’t yet asked any question. 

“What other languages you speak?” His eyebrows rose high almost hiding in his loose locks. She took a moment to regard his appearance. He had smalls beads of sweat on his forehead and the neck of his sweater was wet. He probably trained with the entire Dora Milaje today. 

“I speak Xhosa and Chinese, Farsi and Spanish.” He said when he was out of his small bewilderment.

“Where did you learn them?”

“I don’t think I have to tell you where I learned Xhosa. Spanish in High School, Chinese in college and Farsi in the Navy.” 

“How long did you serve in the Navy?”

“Eight years. I retired about two years ago.” 

Running out books to peruse Shuri moved to another table near the bed. N’Jadaka followed her. Here she found the horned mask. She dismounted it from its pole and examined it. It looked ancient. She has never seen anything like in Wakanda. 

“It’s old. Where did you get this?”

“I stole it from a museum.” She was astonished at his blunt honesty. 

"Oh." 

“Yes, Princess. Oh.” He mimicked. “It was the same museum I took a piece of vibranium from.” 

“There was vibranium in a museum?” She furrowed her eyebrows. 

“Yes, in London, the vibranium had a thick layer of dirt, the idiots never knew what they had under their noses.”

“So, you took it.”

“I returned it. I brought it here with me.” He said mildly annoyed. 

“I see.” 

There was another book, it looked like a journal. It was leather bound. It has the word Wakanda in Xhosa written on it. She opened it. It was handwritten in Xhosa the penmanship work was beautiful, whoever wrote this did it with love and care. 

“That journal belonged to my father,” N’Jadaka said and Shuri felt a touch of sadness in his voice. That, however, didn’t stop her from examining it. 

After reading a few words she knew it contained the myths of Wakanda and its creation, how vibranium came to be. There was also a map. She continued turning pages. She found a picture. A child of no more than ten and a man, both smirking at the camera.

“That is my father.” Shuri wondered if he was bothered by this invasion of his privacy, if he was he didn’t show it. 

Shuri contemplated the picture. “Your father was a very handsome man.” She saw a lopsided smirk on his face.

“You look nothing like your father.” Eyes narrowed at her, the smirk turned into a thin line. “What? It’s true. I’m not saying that you’re not ha…handsome, but you don’t look like him.” She explained. “You had here the same eyes you have now. Sad eyes.” 

He snatched the picture of off her finger and put it back in the journal. She was in front of the bed in two strides. It was neatly done. But this bed wasn’t done by the people who work at the palace. As big as it was and regardless of the silken sheets it looked clinical. Military style. The wasn’t a single wrinkle on it and the sides were tucked beneath the mattress. So different from the mess she left in the mornings. 

“This is where you sleep. This is where you slept with Zoya.” She said with disgust and annoyance. 

“I’ve told you I fucked her for the last time.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” 

“What? Stop sleeping with her?”

“Sleeping with her in the first place. When we were at the meeting for the festival. She and her friends got notions. She flushed furiously when her friend implied she might be your Queen.”

“What?” he exclaimed with annoyance.

“What? Does it surprise you? An unmarried, handsome, King with a different culture takes her his bed. Her and only her, for months. She got notions.”

“I see you are well informed.” 

“Hmm. I have my ways.” 

“Besides don´t tell me Wakandans don’t sleep around?”

“Oh, they do. However, Kings don’t do it so openly. You know because of notions.” 

“And do Princesses sleep around?” Was that a sardonic tone? She asked herself.

She moved to his closet. She has been here before, but she was only focused on finding the sneakers. She was perusing his clothes now. 

“Is there anything you want to ask N’Jadaka?”

The closet was full of clothes organized by color. Well, from dark blue to black the only thing that stood out was the black shirts with golden embroidery. She found the softest most ridiculous piece of clothing ever. A long black furred coat. She took it out and pointed out to him.

“The only thing missing is a hat with a feather and a cane and you’re a seventies pimp.” 

“What I asked is if you have ever slept with a man?” He asked brushing aside her comment. Damn, she wanted an explanation for that coat. 

“No, I haven’t”. She put the coat back.

“So, you are a vi…”

“Don’t say the word.” She interrupted him. “Such inaccurate word for this cases in particular. People change since birth, nobody remains intact. I was born without teeth now I have them. And as fantastical as it is I do not perform miracles, it’s mostly science.”

“Don’t be funny Princess you know what I mean.” 

“I know exactly what you mean. And if you’re going to use that term you must know that mentally speaking I’m not. I have wanted to kiss boys since I was thirteen. And if we are really picky with this term, we both know YOU took care of it a few nights ago.”

Shuri headed to the bathroom now. Drawers were her next target. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Shaving cream, aftershave, alcohol, tweezers, cotton, a toothbrush.

“When did you get your golden canines?”

“It was after college I got into a fight with a guy and knocked one down. I asked the dentist to take the other one out and replace both with gold.”

“So, it is a reminder of a fight you lost?” N’Jadaka was so weird. 

“I didn´t lose no fight.” 

Shuri just nodded. “Well, I’m done here.” She walked to the door when he grabbed her forearm to stop her. 

“Wait up. Princess, what is all this about? How did you get in here?” he was asking questions now?

She smiled a little. “I… I stole your fingerprints.” 

“That panel needs human tempt…. Never mind.” He waved his hands. “Why were you here?”

“If I’m honest with you would you believe me?”

“Yeah right. Be honest and I’ll believe you.” He said almost losing his patience. 

“I was curious.” 

He let go of her arm with a confusing expression. 

“I have to go now.” She looked at the time in her beads. “It almost dinner time and I’m hungry” she added with nonchalant.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:  
> I'm sorry if this isn't what you might want it to be. I'm not saying that domineering Erik won't show up in the future, but here, I think, you will only see flashes of him.  
> I listened to several songs for this chapter in particular. Madness by Muse, Hopeless Wanderer by Mumford and Sons, and Devil's Backbone by the Civil Wars.
> 
> As always thanks for reading. Review and let me know what you think and the tons of mistakes I know I did.

N’Jadaka wanted to speak with Shuri since this morning, he was still confused at her impromptu visit to his room, asking questions and sniffing around his stuff. Princess had made herself scarce right after breakfast. She didn’t even sit at the table, just grabbed a few things a glass of milk and left him alone. When he opened his mouth to make stay she stared down at him. her expression said everything. DO NOT FUCK WITH ME TODAY. 

He allowed her to be for the moment, but later that day his curiosity itched. He went to the lab, but he didn’t find her there. After asking around for her. He knew where she was. She had asked him not to go the lagoon when he knew she would be there, but Shuri already used his pass that morning when she didn’t sit with him at breakfast. 

He found her facing up, floating with her eyes closed. He chose not to disturb her and wait for her to notice his presence. He wondered why she never wore a bathing suit. Twice he had found her here and she in her underwear, and like the last time they were white. The water had done its job. He could see the outline of her nipple through the fabric. 

He followed her slow movement with his eyes. She finally opened her eyes and was aware of him the very next second. She gave him the exact same look from this morning and swam back to the wooden staircase. He was standing a few feet from the deck. 

He watched how the water rushed down to leave her skin when she got out of the water. Her completely soak underwear left nothing to the imagination. Shuri went for the clothes that hang in the banister of the deck. 

“What are you doing here? I’ve told not to follow me here if you even have the slight suspicion I might be here.” She sounded annoyed. She put on her shorts. “You never listen or do what I ask you to do.” Her shirt was next. “I’m beginning to think that you have either have a hearing problem or you’re just plain stupid.” She sat on the floor to tight her left shoe. “I’ve told you sometimes I need a break.” The right shoe. “I can’t be every day at the lab.” She stood and walked to him. “Damn it. You even pointed that out when you made participate in the festival.” She walked in front of him toward the Palace and he followed. “And more import I need a break from you.” She turned to look at him. “I need to think with clarity and your presence makes everything blurry.”

That caught his attention and hers too. Because she put her hands on her mouth like she wanted to take those words back. “What I mean is that you are always pestering in the lab, asking questions and interrupting me.” She kept walking. “Is either that or you’re playing music too loud. And don’t get starting when you begin to rap. It’s annoying as hell because you want to do it above the music.” 

She kept on criticizing him. On his part, he was mainly focused on her face, whenever she turned to him, and how beautiful she looked when she was angry, the pout her mouth made when she finished a sentence and got ready to begin the next. The way her ass moved as she stumped the ground with her steps and how the thin locks of her hair move around her. He wanted to dig his hands on it. They continued like this all the way till they reached the chambers wing of the palace. 

“And you know what else you do?” she turned back to him again and stood silent for a minute looking at him with big eyes while he watched her back with hungry eyes. “What the hell it’s wrong with you? I’ve been spatting all kinds of things to you all the way from the lagoon and you haven’t said a thing.” She furrowed her eyes at him. 

N’Jadaka grabbed by her shoulder and pushed her back against the nearest wall making her bump in the process she was about to protest when his lips caught hers. This time he didn’t rub his body against hers. He kept in place setting his arm in each side and leaning close enough to feel the heat coming from her body. He nibbled her bottom lip until she opened her mouth to moan he took this opportunity to invade her mouth with his tongue and intensify the kiss. She met him stroke by stroke making him go wild inside, sending shivers that traveled all the way to his dick. As if was possible he deepened the kiss. He hoped Shuri never find out the power she had over him. When they released each other, breath came in and out in shorts pants entangling in their faces. 

“Princess, let’s fuck.” 

“Yes.” Shuri nodded. 

They walked until they passed her room when she stopped him short.

“Where are you taking me?” Shuri spat out the question.

“To my rooms.”

“I am not doing anything with you in that bed.” She pointed out. She was still a little mad at the sleeping with Zoya shit.

“Fine, let’s go to your room then.” N’Jadaka made a mental note to burn his mattress down. They switched directions to her room.

As soon as they entered her room they kissed again. N’Jadaka hands were all over her. In the back of her neck, traveling to her breasts, stomach, and legs. He walked them to her bed and sat digging his free hand in her shorts.

“Wait. N’Jadaka, wait.”

His mouth was nibbling at her neck, but he stopped much to his own annoyance. 

“Would you calm down?” She asked him. CALM DOWN? CALM DOWN? He was hard and on fire, he needed her right now. 

She took his hand out of her shorts. “I actually like kissing you.” Her voice was soft and sweet. Innocent. She was flushed red with glossy eyes. She clearly wanted this, but not like this. Then it hit him. She was a virgin. She didn’t like the word, but it was one way to describe her situation.

Yes, he would calm down. He was going to take this slowly as he could. He was going to make it good for her. She deserved that. This was going to be a long hard day. 

He carried her face with both his hands and kissed her tenderly. Tongues entangling in soft lust. She moaned, and it took every cell of his body not to react to his first instinct to rip her clothes off. Instead, he lowered one hand to caress her arm until his found her waist. He dragged her to him positioning her in his lap straddling him. He was careful not exposed her to his hardness. He let his hand trailed up and down her stomach, waist, and hips. Shuri increased the pressure in the kiss, drawing herself closer to him. She yelped a moan when she sat on his erection, but it didn’t stop the kissing. If she kept doing those noises he was going to lose himself and her in the process. 

He leaned back supporting both of them in one hand until his back touch the mattress, and Shuri was resting on top of him. She lifted her face to came out for air. They stared at each other eyes. 

“Hi.” she said.

“Hi.” he said back. 

They continued kissing. He wrapped one of her legs around him to avoid distance between them as he turned around to place himself on top, being careful not to crush her with his weight. He used one arm to support himself above her. Shuri hands were on his neck and holding his head. Lifting her shirt with fingers he drew a circle in her plain stomach and waist going up and down every time getting closer to her breasts until he found himself going under her bra to pinch her nipples. Shuri whimpered at the feeling.

He released the nipple and began unbuttoning her shirt. He undid the last button and pushed aside one cup of her bra. Trailing his lips from her mouth to her chin and neck, all the way down to her shoulder and chest until he reached his goal. N’Jadaka latched at the nipple, nibbled and socked it until Shuri half moaned half screamed in pleasure. She dug her nails into his arm. He knew she would leave a mark, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. Her body trembled beneath him by the time he finished the abused nipple was darker and fuller and hard. He lifted his sight to find her eyes looking at him like he just performed a miracle. 

He went back to her mouth. She put a finger in his mouth to stop again.

“I need you to ask you something before we continue.”

WHAT NOW? N’Jadaka screamed internally. This was a plot to kill him. He was sure. She planned this to destroy him. He almost wanted to cry.

“Yes, Princess whatever you want.” He breathed hard. 

She pushed him off her sitting up in the bed. “Would you back off please?”

N’Jadaka took the deepest breath in his life and stood. Waiting for her request. 

“Take off your shirt. Please.” Princess wanted to see his abs. He guessed it was fair. She was half naked. He did as he was told. When his shirt hit the floor, he thought he was going to find eyes leering at him instead she was looking for something. He understood right then. 

She was looking at his scars. She fixed her shirt and his heart sank in disappointment.

She stood from the bed and walked in circles around him.

“Show me the last one.” She demanded softly.

Oh. The last person he killed.

He pointed one on his left side. She zeroed her eyes in that particular scar.

“When did you get it?” She wanted to know if her brother was here. “Please N’Jadaka tell me the truth.” She begged.

The truth then. The truth was he wondered why hasn’t got a scar with T’Challla or Zuri name on him. Matter fact he hasn’t got any ever since he arrived. Even the military men he caught near the borders had the honor to be embedded in his skin. 

“It was a week before I arrived at Wakanda.” _Klaw._ He should tell her about the one right before that, but he feared the backlash.

She let out a breath she was holding. Her expression was unreadable. What now? Will they go on with this? Or was this the end? 

Shuri walked to him staring down at his chest and torso. Tentatively she caressed his skin leaving a heated trail where her finger rose. She came closer tiptoeing she leaned forward and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her pulling even closer to him. 

He walked her to the bed, he laid her beneath him using one arm to keep in place and the other to support them. He finished unbuttoning her shirt. His mouth traveled from her lips to her stomach leaving trails of bristled skin. Shuri made all kinds of small noises that drove him crazy. He knelt above her watching her reactions. Fuck, he loved that. Her chest heaved, hair fanning around her face, skin flushed all over and a pair of lusty eyes looking back at him. 

“Come here.” He ordered her. Shuri sat up. He took her shirt and pushed down her arms. Her bra was next and N’Jadaka mouth went watery at the sight, it wasn’t only her small pert tits. She was like a gift half unwrapped on Christmas morning. He couldn’t handle himself anymore and launched against her other nipple. Sucking, nibbling and biting. Shuri thow her head back moaning and hissing. They tumbled into the bed as he kept his ministrations. He fumbled her out of her short and shoes unceremoniously. Lacking all the finesse of his previous his movements. 

She was breathing hard, hot and pliant to his touch, all her senses on edge for all he was doing to her. A hand roamed her stomach and hips until her underwear. He used one finger to massage her core and Shuri mouth hung open in pleasure. He continued applying more pressure until she hissed another moan. 

“You look so beautiful like this Princess, you should see yourself. Ravishing. Next time Imma fuck you in front of a mirror and Imma make sure you look. C’mon open yo eyes I want you to look at me.” 

When she opened her eyes, he added another finger and increasing the pressure. Her back arched as she spasmed. She moaned even louder. Princess was kind of a screamer. He chuckled. His fingers were wet from her scent, holding eyes with her he sucked clean his one finger, he watched her flushed red harder. 

“Uhm. Now that just worked me an appetite.” He positioned himself between her legs, took her underwear off. Leaving completely naked. He took a second to see her. Beautiful. 

He lowered his face to her pussy and teased her with the tip on his tongue, peppered kiss. When he finally was done torturing her he used his whole tongue to lick her hard, he sucked and feasted from her. Shuri whole body started to shake with her second orgasm. She fisted the cotton sheets. Even after her climax passed he kept on lapping at her and drinking her sweet juices. He was making sure she was wet enough for him. By the time he was done Shuri was quivering in the aftershocks of pleasure. This just made his dick harder if possible. 

He stood on the floor to take off his pants and boxer. He massaged his dick up and down. 

“Open your legs wider Shuri.” She obeyed. Her eyes went big when she saw his dick, he saw a spark of fear flashed her eyes. 

“Hey, look at me.” His voice sounding softer than he expected. “It’s ok. Imma make sure it hurt as little as possible.” He assured her. She nodded in trust. 

He wasn’t so sure he was going to keep this promise this was the first time he was with a virgin. Never in his life, he’d been this gentle or patient with a woman, but he figured that if he hasn’t given up to instincts so far, he could hold for a while now. 

He climbed the bed, put the head of his dick in her pussy still holding it, he grabbed her hips with his free hand to pull her closer. He pulled and pushed himself until he was completely sheathed in her. She was panting and sweaty. A small tear escaped Shuri eyes and he kissed it off. He put both his arms on the sides of her head and looked at her.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes.” She whispered.

On his part, he was losing it. Hot, velvety soft, tight pussy. The tightest he ever been in. Worse it was squeezing him in. The only thing keeping him from exploding inside her was sheer will. He was a teenager all over again. 

\-------------------------------------------------------- 

“Are you ok?” N’Jadaka asked. It hadn’t hurt that much but the stretching was something else. It didn’t help that he had a big penis. She had to grip at his shoulder to redirect the pain. He didn’t seem to mind.

“Yes.” She whispered to him. Bast, she felt so full right now. He was holding himself above her with moving like he was contemplating something. His whole being invaded her. From the rippled skin from his torso and arms. His breath on her neck, the heat coming from his body to him being inside her. It was intoxicating. Her body felt on fire and she wanted to turn into ashes with his touch. She was a little ashamed for how she acted earlier, moaning and hissing like a cat in heat. 

Shuri moved a little to adjust in the bed.

“No. Please Shuri whatever you do don’t move.” He was begging her. Please, please don’t.” He pleaded in her ear. 

She panicked for a moment. 

“N’Jadaka what’s happening? Am I doing something wrong?”

“No.” He sounded like he was about to cry. “You’re perfect.” He breathed. “Hot, soft and tight.” His word made her pelvis clenched in lust. “Fuck Princess don’t do that. You already have a greedy pussy, sucking me inside.”

He began to thrust into her in a slow pace, Shuri whimpered at every thrust. She was doing this, it was happening. And it felt so good once the small pain from the stretching passed. The feeling of his chest against her as he moved made her skin tickled. 

“Kiss me.” She asked him. N’Jadaka found her lips and replayed what he was doing to her core in her mouth. Thrusting his tongue into her. Yes, she wanted to be consumed by him, turn into nothing in his arms. She never felt smaller in her life and she loved it. 

His pacing increased and the pressure of his thrust and how deep he was thrusting into her did too. Shuri sensed a heated sensation forming in her core. He was right she was greedy because she wanted more. She wrapped her legs around him pulling him deeper with her legs. 

“You like that Princess?”

She heard his voice but was far too gone to give a coherent answer. The heated sensation was getting stronger and stronger as N’Jadaka thrust went faster, deeper. Something that was coiling inside her unraveled as she spasmed stronger than the last two times. All the sudden everything was too much for her to handle and she screamed loud. Her whole tensed, legs were trembling, her toes curled, she clawed her nails deep into N’Jadaka back. 

“It’s ok. Cum for me Shuri, cum.”

He kept stroking into her until she felt him tensed above her and a hot liquid filled her. He left out a hoarse moan and collapsed on her. He didn’t stop right away; his thrusts became hollow and slower and his breaths deeper. 

He claimed her mouth one more time and pushed himself out her just to stumbled right by her side. 

Shuri was still riding the aftershock, her body clenched in spasm from time to time. He wrapped a possessive arm around her and drew in. Her back was touching his chest and torso and her ass and legs were cradling his member. His hand was playing with one of her nipples.

“You didn’t moan my name this time Princess.” he whispered in her ear. “We need to fix that.” 

“Right now?”

“Fuck no. Princess, later.” 

They stayed like that for long moments until sleep began to take Shuri away.

“Shuri.” N’Jadaka voice woke her from her doziness. “We didn’t use protection.”

“It’s fine. I’ve been on the pill since I was fourteen to regulate my period.”

He felt him moved out of the bed and panic took over her. 

“Where are you going?”

“To the bathroom.” He answered her. When he came he a had a wet cloth with him and began to clean her off. Bewilderment took over her as she watched him being too delicate with her. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He must have sensed it. He lifted his eyes from her middle and stared at her.

“What?” He asked. 

“Nothing.” 

“Shuri you should pee.” She agreed with him and sat on the bed and tried to stand, but she was in discomfort. She took a step and felt the soreness.

“N’Jadaka it hurts a little when I walk.”

He laughed. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t be laughing, but I wish you could see yo face. you were so confident and then it seemed like you smelled something foul.” 

“Stop laughing and help me.” 

“Yes. Yes.” He lent her an arm. He continued laughing all the way to the bathroom. He stood by the door waiting for her to finish. This was so weird he was watching pee, that had never happened to her before. Today was a day for lots of firsts times. After she finished instead of walking her to the bed he carried her.

“This is faster than your granny pace.” He mocked her. 

He set her on the bed. He was standing at the foot of the bed, looking around. She was trying really hard to look everywhere else but at his body, especially not at his penis. At least it wasn’t as big and angry as it was before. It was impossible, his presence took all the room.

“You know, Princess. I’ve noticed your room before. Whenever I’m in here I only see you.”

Shuri didn’t know what to do with those words. She took one of the sheets and wrapped herself with it. The feeling of oddness filled her again. She never had problems with nudity, why was she covering now after he already seen all her bits?

“What are those things in at the top of the shelves?” He asked pointing out at the white shelves next to her desk. 

There were several objects all, old and discounted by the time she found them. 

“Those are toys.” 

“You made them?”

“No. I fixed them. Can you bring them here? I don’t think I can walk without wincing.”

He took off the shelf and brought them to the bed. She grabbed the first one, it was a wooden car.

“I found this when I was three. It was discarded in the main road from here to the Bast Temple. Forgotten. It was broken, the mechanism that made work was damaged. I disarmed it and used an elastic band to fix it. it’s been with me ever since. It was the first thing I ever fixed.”

“What about this one?”

“That one belonged to Nakia, that’s what my brother said. Apparently, she left in the Palace many years ago when she used to play with my brother before I was born. I also found it around, I was five I think, it was broken. I not only fixed it I also updated it.” 

She told him the story of how every toy came to be. She talked and talked, and he listened. 

“That’s how you learned.” He said. 

“Yes. I was a fast learner. I also self-taught a lot.” She said as matter of fact not to boast herself.

His sight drifted back to the shelves. 

“It is basically a bookshelf. You have toys, some portraits, and figurines, but only one book. Why?”

“Well, as you know, we don´t use much paper around here, we have beads and screens that can be used to read words, you are the only one who still likes to turn pages to the left.” It was her time to mock him. Reminding him of the piles of books he had in his room. He looked at her through narrowed eyes. “And that is not a book, it’s a notebook.”

“Excuse me but can’t all this technology be used to write stuff down?”

“Yes. But I used notebooks to write my ideas down. My brain works so fast that I need a slow method to put everything in order, so it can be understood.” 

“By your interns?”

Yes, and by less intelligent people like you.” She smiled and kissed him on the lips. He smiled back at her. 

“Princess I have to ask you a question.”

“Yes.” 

“Why do you build weapons?”

She blinked at him. That was a good question.

“I mean, your nature is so far from what most people believe is the person who builds the things you do.”

It took her a moment to realize she had never thought about it. 

“Well, I not only build weapons, eighty percent of what I build is new technology to improve life. It’s just sometimes I bump into inventions that have several uses and weaponizing it’s like the last step. Besides I am the head of development of a country that doesn’t buy weapons from other countries, it’s a given that I should build weapons.” Besides, she only built them in case Wakanda had to defend itself. Going to war against the world was never in her mind. She wanted to say that, but she didn’t want to ruin the moment. _I was never expecting you to show up._ “We don’t mass produce it though.”

He stayed silent at her statement. 

After a moment her stomach growled in hunger. Embarrass by the sound Shuri turned away her head looking for the clock. It was dinner time. 

“All that activity has you, hungry Princess. Huh?”

She nodded, remembering what they were doing just hours ago and flushed red. 

“Since you can’t walk straight due to my dick I better go out and get us some food.”

“Do you have to be so raunchy?”

“Yes.” He said and kiss her lips. He put his clothes on. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

The moment the door slid closed behind Shuri got up off the bed very slowly due to the soreness and put the toys back on the shelf. He was right she walked at the speed of an old lady. She laid on the bed again, recounting what had happened. Other than the soreness she didn’t feel any different. The things N’Jadaka did to her and how she had responded. By Bast, she was looking for a reason why all of this was wrong, and she couldn’t come up with one.

_He wants to conquer the world killing millions in the process._

You already had this argument with yourself Shuri and it was cleared by how loud you screamed and how much you enjoyed it that particular subject mattered little to you. She hated herself.

_He threw your brother off a cliff._

She was such a horrible person. She screamed and moaned like a common whore to a man who wrecked your life, What for? Because he looked fine and kiss so good. So, she decided to jump into bed with him, so she can what? Orgasm?

_No Shuri, it’s because lately he’s been the only friend you have. And you have had far deeper conversations with him than with anyone in your life. Even when you are raging at each other. Right now, for better or worst he is the closest person to you._

N’Jadaka entered the room with a tray full of food. He placed on her desk. He brought the desk to near her bed and sat on chair. 

“Princess. I brought a little bit of everything.” 

Shuri marveled at his attention. He could be so rude sometimes, well most of the time, but now he was being so nice. She didn’t want to say something, she had the feeling N’Jadaka was the kind of people who hated to be caught off guard.

They ate with gusto. It seemed she wasn’t the only one hungry. 

“Are you feeling better Princess?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Good. Because it’s time for round two.” 

“What? Now?” Shuri opened her eyes big. He moved the desk out of the way and climbed into the bed in all four, moving with such grace, she couldn’t help to compare him to a real Jaguar. N’Jadaka was caging her between her arms and legs hovering above her. His body swayed from side to side, so his eyes. Like he was sizing her up, ready to attack. Devour her.

“You thought you’d get away with it.” 

“With what?” She was excited and a little scared.

“Not screaming my name. Nah, Princess. You can cum all you want, but my job ain’t done until you moan my name in pleasure.”

He launched forward to kiss her neck and ears. 

“You want me to take you again Princess?” His voice was so low, it was like a purr that melted her and made her wet. _Yes please take me._ Her brain screamed. She didn’t believe in hell, but Bast would make an exception and build her a room the hottest part of it. 

“Answer me. Princess.” 

“Yes N’Jadaka.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, just leaving this over here. Basically porn, young love is like that sometimes. Enjoy it, because in the direction I'm going I don't think is going to be more for a while. 
> 
> Again, please review. Comment in the little details and as always, if you see mistakes let me know.

The second time they slept together was the day after. She was coming up from the lab when he intersected her on the hall leading to her rooms. He had kissed her senseless and the next thing she remembered was being naked against her mattress with N’Jadaka’s head between her legs. 

N’Jadaka had taken residence in her bed two night after that. She was getting out of the shower when she found him sitting on her bed with his back leaning against the bed headboard. He startled her, she was pretty sure he wasn’t there when she went into the bathroom. The man was sneaky. He was there with his big glasses on, reading a book. Chest and arms naked. She bent over, putting on her pajamas, she was likely giving him a show, when he smugly announced she wasn’t going to need those. 

She stared at the man, waiting for him to lift his face from the book and look at her. Instead, he flipped one page to the left and kept reading. She huffed and put on her damn pajamas. If he thought she was going to wait for him to stop his reading, so they can have sex he was going to work through her clothes. By the time she finished he chuckled. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to have sex with N’Jadaka, but she wasn’t going to dutifully wait for him on any regard. 

She took her notebook and a pencil from the shelf got into the bed and started to scribble and draw. If he could wait to finish the chapter he was on, so they could pass onto more interesting things, she could write down a few ideas dancing in her head for the lasts few days. As always, her drawings were hideous. Thank Bast for designing applications that made her sketches more comprehensible. They looked like doodles instead of the work of an accomplished engineer. 

She looked sideways to him and peeped the end of the chapter. Finally, she smiled to herself. She didn’t want to look so eager, so she kept scribbling away. She saw him turned into the next page. What? She stopped scribbling all together and openly stared at him. N’Jadaka didn’t even squint his eyes her way. 

“I told you not wear yo jammies. Now yo ass gonna wait.” 

The bastard. She was wet and horny, and he knew it. Damn, she was wet since he kissed her good morning earlier that day. 

“You want dick? Be a good girl.” He dripped smugness, but he never removed his eyes from the book. What was that book about? She lowered her head to read the title:

Modern History of the World: Eastern Countries and the Impact of American Foreign Policies After WWII.

Seriously? A book about how American Imperialism screw half of the world was more interesting than her? She was royally offended. 

“You want pussy N’Jadaka? You should have gotten it while it was available.”

The word ‘pussy’ felt foreign in her tongue, but she wanted to make a point about her boldness to defy him due to his offensive behavior. 

She put the notebook on the nightstand, slid horizontally on the bed and turned her back to him, her plan was to fall asleep, but she was too pissed to do it. 

“Tks, tks, tks... over privilege Princess can’t wait for things. You probably don’t know the meaning of delay gratification.” Shuri heard him and she was growing exponentially more offended by the second. She wasn’t any of those things. She could wait for things. 

Another long ten minutes passed, and her outrage remained intact. She heard him put the book on his nightstand. She hoped he didn’t have any ideas she wasn’t in the mood anymore. _Liar._

N’Jadaka snaked an arm around her middle and dragged to him. He slid his hand down to her hips and pulled even closer to him. She felt his strong erection in her ass. She whimpered at the feel of it. Plus, all him felt so warm. 

“Seems to me yo ass in on the mood." N’jadaka objected. She turned around to meet his eyes. She wore her best-offended look. 

“You think that lame book is more interesting than me.” 

“You didn’t listen to me when I said you ain’t needing yo jammies.” He pressed himself against her, making forget why she was mad in the first place. 

Shuri looked down at his body, noticing he was naked. By Bast he was beautiful. She wondered if he thought her to be beautiful too. He had told her so when they had sex for the first time and mumbled it several times in their encounters. It was probably because his brain was filled up with oxytocin and dopamine. _Like your brain isn’t swimming in those right now?_ As true as that may be, she was making the observation from an aesthetical point of view. His face was handsome. But him, all him, physically speaking, was beautiful. 

Shuri leaned up to kiss him and he pulled his head back. This only helped to further offense. She narrowed his eyes. “Do you want me to beg you?” Shuri asked incredulously. She really hoped not because she wasn’t the begging type.

“I want you to admit that yo ass is privileged and spoiled.” 

“I am not those things.” She claimed vehemently. 

“Yes, you are. You got angry because I wasn’t giving you dick when you wanted it, and now that I am offering, you don’t want it anymore.”

N’Jadaka place his face in the crook of her neck, while his hand traveled her stomach, making her skin burn hot with his touch. He unbuttoned her pajama’ shirt one button at the time. His teeth nibbling her ear. The skin of her entire body bristle. When he got the final button opened, his hand began to draw circles in her breast, his finger ending in her nipple, he twisted softly making her whimper in pleasure. 

Her eyes were closed. She was feeling everything at the same time. His teeth in her ear, his breath in the side of her face, and those fingers making fantastics things to her. 

His hand went down until he found the hem of underwear waistband. 

“Open yo legs Shuri.” She did. whenever he used his low voice in her ears, she was no longer her own. A finger slid between her nether lips. She hissed in pleasure. He added pressure and moved faster. She mewled and moaned as he increased the pace and the pressure. The heat and the coil were forming in her again when he stopped. 

Alarmed, she opened her eyes to look at him. His face had an amused expression she wanted to slap away. 

“Is yo ass admitting you are privileged and spoiled.” 

Shuri breathed hard. He placed his finger in her again and started all over, with more pressure this time.

“Are you privileged and spoiled?” He asked her. 

“Yes.” She panted.

“Yes, what?” He stopped 

“I am privileged and spoiled.” She sounded desperate. No, she WAS desperate.

“Good. You want dick?” Continued. 

“Yes.” His fingers stopped. 

“You want what?” he continued. 

“Dick, I want dick.” She wailed as her body trashed. This was torture. 

“Good girl.” 

He knelt before her, in one swift motion he got her off the bottom of her pajamas taking her underwear with it. The movement made her legs land in his chest with her feet at each side of his head. 

“You know Princess every time we fuck, I ended up in a position where I can’t see yo face. I want to see yo face when you cum on this dick.” 

Using his hand, he guided himself into her. The sweet burning sensation of him was amazing. N’Jadaka placed her legs around him to impale her deeper. She was so full. He took a firm grip of her hips as he drew himself in and out of her, setting a slow but deeper pace. 

She was gone within the sensation he was causing. She mewled and whimpered with each thrust. 

“So tight. C’mon Princess open yo eyes for me, I want you to see.” She heard his voice in the distance. “Open yo eyes Shuri.” She finally did when he called her name. 

“Look at me” He commanded. 

And she did. His locks were fanning on the side of his face. His eyes were opened but his eyebrows frowned. He was softly biting his lower lip in determination while his nose flared. The muscles of his arms flexed with the movement and the pace he used to drive her crazy. And there was tension in his abs. It occurred to her that he was trying not to lose it. The thought of her driving this man as crazy as he drove her, this determined man. With all his strong will made Shuri felt powerful. She orgasmed at thought of it.

She moaned and called his name, her whole body tensed as if electricity passed through her. By the time it was done she was boneless. But he kept thrusting into her. 

“Beautiful Princess.” 

He increased the pace and went deeper this time. Another heat was forming inside Shuri. She watched his face contorted in pleasure, with his mouth slightly hanging open. Eyes still glued to hers. She arched her back, N’Jadaka bent down to capture her lips. He growled in her mouth in released, Shuri felt her body burn again. Burying her nails in his strong arms, needing something to hold on to. 

He got himself off her without breaking the kiss and stumbled next to her. When he was done kissing her, both their breaths were ragged, and chests heaved. He laid on his side facing her with closed eyes, but very much awake. He looked so peaceful right there. She wanted to let him be and watch him, but he got other ideas. He pulled her to him and turned on his back placing her on top of him. Her body resting on his with one hand tracing circles on her back. All this exertion made her sleepy. Her eyes felt heavy. She slept with her head resting on N’Jadaka´s chest, listening to the sound of his heart. 

 

As he promised N’Jadaka took the young man to see the lab. He hadn’t asked Shuri permission to bring someone to her domain, but he was going to show him around, nothing more. Hopefully, they wouldn’t interrupt her work. 

The young man was excited, he could see it in his face. They took the spiral stairs that let inside the lab.

N’Jadaka showed him the communication bay, mining development, medical bay and what he thought it was young Khari favorite, the medicine research bay. He knew little about Wakanda medicine search, so he asked Alexa to give the tour. 

Every inquiry about medicine Khari had, Alexa, answered, albeit, with a very cold short answer, he didn’t seem to mind there was any further development in the answer the computer gave, he was happy with it. 

After a few minutes of back and forward with the computer, Khari started to mumbled words between his teeth. Something about curing diseases and regenerating biological tissues. 

Khari finally ran out of questions to ask Alexa, they continued the rest of the tour through the lab. Lastly, they found Shuri, bent down in her station working on something. As they came closer N’Jadaka noticed she wasn’t in working in the computer system, but her head was looking into a microscope and little smoke floated out on her sides. She was also wearing protective goggles. 

“Princess Shuri.”

Shuri chuckled without lifting her head. “Princess Shuri? When have you ever called by my title and name before?” She lifted her head to look at the two of them. 

“My King?” She opened her eyes big. She wasn’t expecting him to bring an unknown person with him so, she used formalities. 

“Princess Shuri.” N’Jadaka spoke again. “This is Khari Olowea, from the River Tribe, he is currently studying biomedical engineer in America. I’m showing him the lab.” 

“I know. We met. Hi Khari.” She smiled at him still wearing the protective goggles. “Oops sorry, I forgot I was wearing this.” She took the goggles and put down the welding pen. She stretched out her hand to shake Khari. 

“Princess Shuri, it’s nice to see you again.” The young greeted back giving her his hand. 

“You can call me Shuri.”

N’Jadaka frown slightly at this exchange. Of course, they met at the feast for the Rain Festival. 

“I promised Khari that I will show him the lab. So, he is here.” 

“Did you show him the medicine research bay?”

“I just did.”

“You did?” Shuri looked a bit confused. “But, my King, don’t know much about what we were developing here.” Shuri turned to look at Khari. “He let the computer tell you everything didn’t he?”

Khari let out a nervous smile and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. 

“As smart as the computer is she is not going to give details. Plus, she programmed like that.” He got an accusative frown from her. “You’re such poor host. He is studying some of the subjects that we have at the lab, he has deeper questions about everything.” She accused him and Khari body language change from comfortable to tense. 

Did she just admonish him in front someone else? The nerve of this woman. He gave a hard look which she brushed over like a mild annoyance.

“Come on Khari show around. You can ask all the questions you want, and I will answer them as detailed as I am able.”

She led the young man back into the research area. They left him alone in her workstation. He bent down his head into the microscope to watch what was Shuri working prior to their arrival. In the middle of the glass, there was a small microchip, nothing out of the ordinary. He displayed a screen in the glass in front of him to check the progress on the unlocking of the lab. He tried to use a key to get into the system, but it was impossible. He tried several times with other codes, but still, nothing worked. He knew she was making progress because little by little the lab was coming alive. He was sure that in a few weeks the interns could return to work in the previous jobs. That meant his plans of taking her against one of the walls or on his workstation had to be hurried up. 

There was again the matter plaguing his head lately. Having sex with Shuri. Brushing aside the fact it was by far one of the best sex he had in years. She was perfect and so responsive, she wasn’t afraid to show her emotions. Being inside her was like being home. Which brought him to the fact that he wrecked her life in more than one way and she was forgiving enough to let him have her. What was wrong with her? What was wrong with him? A few months ago, he was willing to kill her if he had to. Now he crawled into her bed like a pilgrim looking for divine salvation. 

A stream of laughter interrupted his thoughts. Khari and Shuri were returning from the guided tour. She was laughing at something he said. She was grabbing her stomach and her eyes were getting watery. N’Jadaka found himself annoyed at this. He gave them both a stern look. Which as always Shuri paid it no mind, but Khari body tensed when he felt the weight of his stare. 

“Oh N’Jadaka, Khari has such a brilliant mind, I want to invite him over again. What are you doing tomorrow?” Shuri asked Khari. He was about to answer when she interrupted him. “Doesn’t matter you are canceling everything, you’re coming back tomorrow morning. Your Princess is telling you. it’s a royal mandate.” She used her commanding sovereign voice.

“Are you two done?” N’Jadaka asked trying to sound less irritated than he was. 

“Yes, yes. You can take him.”

He walked the young man out of the lab. Once outside he asked one of the Dora Milaje standing by the door to escort him out of the Palace. By dinner time the annoyance, he felt before quailed. 

 

Shuri was walking around her room mumbling thing into the air. N’Jadaka watched her, all wide eye and smiling. 

“You’re up early today.” He said from the bed. 

“Well, yes. I have a guest a lab.” She chirped. Aye. Right, Khari was going to the lab today. He was annoyed again.

“This is so exciting, N’Jadaka, he’s so smart. He could do such great things with the right help. With his ideas and my technology, we could achieve something good. I’ve never been interesting in biology, and I don’t think I’ll ever be. But it would be great to use my tech to help him.” She was talking fast, lots of excitement in her tone. 

He sat at the edge of the bed. “Shuri come here.” He asked her. She walked to him and stood between his legs. She looked down at him with a smile on her face. Mild anger grew inside him, knowing that smile wasn’t put on by him. He was about to change that.

She was wearing a knee level green and black skirt with a silky blouse. He roamed her calves up and down. He kept going up, through the back of her knees and tights, getting a good hold of her ass. He felt the fabric of her underwear. Never in a million years, he thought he would get hard at the touch of plain cottoned panties. 

“N’Jadaka I’m going to be late.” She panted. He drew her underwear down past her ankles and she stepped out it. He lifted her skirt up and licked her pussy once, she was wet. Shuri moaned and trembled to hold his head with her hands. 

“I promised I’ll be quick.” He said, giving her his best hurt puppy look he could muster. She bent down to kiss him, pulling his hair in the process. Fuck, that drove him crazy. 

He threw her in the bed, pushed her skirt to her belly and impaled her with one hard motion, making her wailed. He held her feet up in the air. From the beginning the pace was jarring. If she going to spend time with another man, he wanted her to remember him every moment. When she sat and when she walked. Shuri was mewling and emitting delicious little cries at his thrusts.

He decreased the pace. “Princess, where’s my dick?” He asked her. He thrust into her deeper. But appeared to be out it due to the sensations.

“Princess I asked you, where my dick is?” Thrusting again. 

“Inside me.” She answered with a wailing. 

“Yes, but where exactly?” Another wail escaped her lips as he kept a slow but deeper pace. 

“In my pussy.” 

A rich laugh came from him. “Yours? Oh Shuri, it hasn’t been yours since the moment you let me sink my tongue in it. So, Princess again. Where is my dick?”

He kept thrusting into her trying to go deeper as he could. Shuri mewled. 

“You want to cum? Where’s my dick?”

He felt her pussy closing around him, Shuri back arched. Her eyes closed, her mouth hung open. She was about to cum, but she still hasn’t answered the question.

“N’Jadaka.” She screamed his name. Her pussy milked his dick, hard, taking him with her. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” N’Jadaka moaned. His spine went rigid. Shocks of pleasure traveled his body. Flashing lights danced in front of him as he came inside her.  
His body went limp, crashing into her. Both panting for the effort. Shuri put her arms around his head, bringing him up to her level. She kissed him on the lips and pushed his dead back to face him. 

“My pussy.” She said as a matter of fact. He will get her next time. Right then, he was too high to refute her comment. 

They laid there for a few minutes. He pulled himself out of her and landed right next to her. 

“Um N’Jadaka, why were you trying to reassess your territory?”

“What? ain’t no animal.”

“Well, you just behaved like one. You kept asking me where your dick was.” She argued to him.

“It’s just a game Princess.”

“Wouldn’t it be because you’re jealous?” she taunted him.

“Jealous of whom?” He laughed. 

“Of Khari.”

“Woman, I don’t know whatcha ya talkin’ about.”

“Yes, you are. You gave Khari yesterday the same look you gave Amani when he put his hands on me and now you are deliberately making me late to my appointment with him” 

His eyes became to slits. He was not jealous. Never in his life, he had that emotion. In truth, he did like things to go certain ways for him. Like right then if he could he would print his scent in her, one sniff her way and no man would dare to even look at her. But he wasn’t the jealous type. He had let every woman in his life do whatever the fuck they wanted because he never got attached to anyone. 

“Ain’t got no problems with you spending the day with Khari, and you’re right, he is bright, and he needs your help.” He said getting out the bed.

“Umhu. You have nothing to worry about. He is funny and brilliant, even though I just met him, I don’t think I would like him that way.” 

N’Jadaka was pretty sure that when she and he met she didn’t like him that way, but here they were, fucking. 

“What about him? do ya think he might like you that way?”

“He has a girlfriend.” She was so naïve. 

“When had that ever stop a nigga?” He said between his teeth. 

“So, you just admitted you’re jealous.” 

“Nah.”

“N’Jadaka, look at me. Do you trust me?” she grabbed his face with both hands.

He had every reason not to. He had turned her life upside down and was making her do something she hated. As far as he was concern she had every reason and right to fuck him over real bad. 

“Yes.” He blurted out. _N’Jadaka Odaku, also known as Erik Stevens alias Killmonger, you are fucked. This woman that can barely reach your chin and you can lift with one arm. She just fucked you. And you know what’s worse? You don’t seem to mind._ He heard a voice laughing at him, filled with a mocking mirth. 

“Um, well, nothing is going to happen between Khari and me, he is about to become just a colleague and maybe with time a good friend. Now if you excuse I must change.” She walked to her closet. “You have delayed me. Khari’s going to think I have no word.” She complained. 

N’Jadaka watched her change again, following every movement with his eyes. 

He didn’t know how to feel about the situation he, well, they were in. He didn’t think they had a name together. Why would they? How do you call when you burst into someone life, ruined it in the worst possible way, get to know that person and start to fuck her? At some they were going to stop, this couldn’t last forever. She was going to wake up one day from her orgasm induce state and kick him off her bed, he will have no choice, but to leave. This was a mess he didn’t foresee. This was wrong, and it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. He could fight and lie his way out from hell. But this entanglement he was in, resulted to be difficult. 

_Yes, N’Jadaka, but do you really want out?_ He heard the same voice from earlier, this time in a serious tone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this.

Shuri sat on her workstation working in a new gadget. So far, she didn’t have a specific use for it, but she will figure it out in time. She tinkered with the object and sighed. She missed her mother, it’s been months and she hasn’t seen her. They spoke through emails. Most of the emails were short sentences with little or specific information. The server her mother was using was an unprotected one, both decided they didn’t want to risk leaking any kind of information to the exterior world. 

She wanted to speak with her and hug her, Shuri was sure her mother hasn’t properly mourned the death of both her son and husband, in the same year. She hasn’t either. Sorrow filled her, and a tear fell on the table in front of her. Her family has fallen apart. She wanted to be with her mother. 

Shuri cried and cried until she felt she didn’t have more tears in her to keep crying. 

By dinner time she announced she wasn’t feeling hungry, skipping the meal. As it has become a costume, N’Jadaka got into bed next to her and pressed himself against her back. 

“I’m not in the mood N’Jadaka.” Shuri expressed, in a sad stern voice.

“I know. You only skip meals when you’re not feeling well.” He murmured into her ear. The fact that he had picked up on that moved her, perhaps she could use this to ask him.

“N’Jadaka, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes.” 

“I missed my mother, I would like to go to see her.” She felt N’Jadaka body shift in the bed, she turned to face him. He hasn’t said a word yet but was looking at the wall across from the bed. “Please N’Jadaka, I miss her a lot.” The only reason she told him this was because she didn’t want to jeopardize what they had or the shaky peace between them. Plus, she’s been reading psychology lately and she didn’t want him to have wrong thoughts about this.

“I promise it will be a short visit, I will be here before you notice, you know what will happen if I leave the lab for three days in a row. I really don’t feel like untangling everything again.” That was true, as much as she wanted him to stop him, re-unblock the lab again will be a real pain in the ass. She would have to begin from zero once again, and Bast knows the reaction he will have. She could also never return, but he promised to chase her if he had to. 

He continued looking at the nothingness in front of him for a long while. Shuri was losing hope. Had she not demonstrated him enough that she cared about him? Yes, she wanted to stop him, but she would never stab him in the back. 

He sighed. “Fine.” He said. Sounding defeated. “But only for only two nights.” 

“Thank you N’Jadaka.” She kissed him long and hard. She finished the kiss. “I’m still not in the mood.” She told him in case he was having ideas. 

“I know.” He said as a matter of fact. He wasn’t in the mood either. She turned and N’Jadaka pressed himself against her once again. 

 

Shuri was getting ready to leave. The flight to Cape Town will only last half hour. Since she was going to be there for two nights, she was packing one bag. She wanted to take a few things to her mother. She woke up early in the morning and went to the local market. She took one of the girls that worked in the kitchen with her, Shuri had little to no eye to buy fruits. She also wanted to take some of her clothes, so she packed another bag with her mother's clothes. 

N’Jadaka was holding a meeting with W’Kabi and some other Head of Tribes, trying to figure out what was going to be done about a near village that was being attacked with a paramilitary army commanded by a War Lord. Which according to intelligence, was being financed by a coalition of several countries. The army had taken the whole village hostage in exchange for information about the location of some rich mineral. They have cut all kind of first needs supplies including water. These men were looking for vibranium, even if they didn’t know it yet. She really hoped N’Jadaka and W’Kabi were able to solve this problem with little to none spilling of blood. According to her brother Okoye was great at organizing guerrillas’ attacks. Shuri told N’Jadaka to listen to the General. 

She was getting ready to meet with her mother. She was being selfish for not staying to help, but then again if N’Jadaka couldn’t solve this problem himself and with the help of Okoye, he might as well renounce to the crown.

Yesterday was interesting for her, it was the day after she had asked him to let her go see her mother. She was in the lab in her workstation when he attacked her. She used the word attack because there is no other explanation for what he did to her. He kissed viciously and then fucked her into the wall after they finished he looked at her and told her: _Just in case._

Just in case what? What did he mean by that? Now she had a better understanding. He was expecting her to escape and never return. And why wouldn’t she? The more she thought about it, it looked like a plan that might work. The lab would go into complete shutdown, his plan of conquering the world would end in the blink of an eye. Of course, her mother and she would spend the rest of their lives running around the world, trying to escape him. For how long? She knew Wakanda had many spies located in most places, she was sure it wouldn’t take him long to find them. And there was, of course, this attachment between them. N’Jadaka was abandoned by every person in his life. _Would she be next?_

She shook her head, she didn’t want to think about that. The bags were nearly done. She would leave in less than an hour. Two Dora Millaje would drop her off at the safe house in Cape Town. She used a small hover carrier to take the luggage to the heliport.

N’Jadaka was already there waiting for her. “I thought you were on a meeting.” She told him a bit confused. The situation in the near village was serious, his presence was required.

“I let Okoye took over.” He had a stern expression on his face. He had followed her advice, but she suspected it was more than simple trust in both Okoye and her, that made him leave the meeting. The intensity of his eyes on her told her this wasn’t about bidding her a safe trip either. 

“You are only leaving for two nights you don’t need so much shit.” He said pointing out the three bags she had. His words were laced with menace and another thing Shuri couldn’t put her finger on it.

“I’m taking some stuff to my mother, some of her clothes, toiletries and some of her favorite things.”

She directed the small carrier into the Talon. The Two Doras were already inside waiting for her. One woman was taking control of the ship and the other sat looking straight ahead.

N’Jadaka stepped into her personal space without touching her. The heat he emanated was enough to suffocate her. His eyes bore into her, two slits, cold as vibranium in its natural stage. His breaths were heavy, and his nostrils flared. He leaned forward into her ear.

“Be smart and think through everything.” He whispered the warning. 

She exactly what he meant with that. She had done it a dozen times. She moved past him and hopped into the ship holding his gaze as the bridged gate lifted closed.

She sat across from the Dora, remembering they were not bound to her, but to the King, whoever might be. Had one of them been Okoye and maybe they would be going through strategies to escape. If she were to make any attempt to escape they would be required to stop her. She just wanted to see her Mom. She was sure the despite the how many times she assured N’Jadaka, it was just a visit, he increased the security and the tail on the house and everything and everybody that went in and out of it. No wonder why her mother said Nakia disappeared days after they arrived. 

The ship landed in an abandoned field, right behind the house. The place was on the outskirts of the city. The invisibility shield was on and she had designed the Talon to be as silent as possible. Not to mention the engine was updated to have minimal effect on the air around it. To the normal bystander, there would only be a small strong breeze. Thankfully according to her mother, she didn’t have many visitors.

They descended to the field, her mother outside waiting for her. She ran to her mother, who waited for her with open arms. Even though she stood in a very motherly stand she looked regals as always, her head stood high. She wore a long grey dress; her white long locks frame her face and form. A heavy neckless hand in her neck, it was a symbol of the Proud Lands. 

“Yam ntombazana. Ndiphosakele kakhulu.” Her mother welcomed her.

“Umama.”

Shuri embraced her mother tight. By Bast how much she missed her and her warmth. Ramonda placed a kiss on her forehead and walked into the house. The moment they stepped in her mother sat her on in the couch. 

“My little girl. How are you?” Her mother voice was filled with concern.

“I am fine, mother, as fine as I can be in this situation.” Guilt was starting to eat her up. At that moment Shuri knew this visit was going to be trying. 

“You indeed look well.” Her mother told her. “It looked as if you gained a few pounds.” Shuri did not want to be there anymore, perhaps she should have stayed home. “We both know that stress and anxiousness tend to make you eat.” Well, that was true, she ate a lot when she was stressed.

“Well, the lasts months have been stressful.” 

“My poor girl. I can imagine how your life must be under the rule of that tyrant.” Was N’Jadaka a tyrant? _Well, Shuri that’s what you’re trying to prevent._

“I must say that under his rule Wakanda had not changed yet. Remember, I shut down the lab and override every code that controlled it. Including the mass production of weapons which had prevented him from achieving his goals.”

“My bright girl. That’s why you there isn’t it when he caught you. You wrote you were trying to fix things. Isn’t it the lab?” Shuri nodded. “He threatened you, hasn’t he?” Shuri nodded again. 

“Yes mama, but I’ve been trying to delay him as much as I can. But, let’s talk about something else. How are you holding on?”

“I’ve spent the days praying and feeling powerless. It is not in my nature to sit and wait, sadly pray is the only thing I can do. That and thinking. As I told you before, Agent Ross promised me to keep things quiet until The Usurper made the first move, fortunately, he hasn’t done anything yet. Now I know it has much to do with you.” Ramonda smiled warmly at her. 

Shuri wanted desperately to change the subject, but she knew somehow most of their conversations were going to end the mention of N’Jadaka. For a moment there, she felt a different kind of resentment toward the man. It seemed like every breath she took had to involve him. She internally huffed. 

“Are you alright, Shuri?” Her mother noticed her change of mood. 

“Yes, I am, I just wish we could talk about something else.” Shuri smiled tight. “How do you like it here?”

“Well, is smaller than the Palace, but it’s quiet, which is good. I don’t have many people to talk to. I told the girl that help me to take care of the house to take a couple of days off, I told her I would call her back when I needed her. There is a lovely old lady who sometimes I meet at the park, whenever I feel this house suffocates me. I haven’t heard from Nakia in a long while. Sometimes I receive calls from Agent Ross, asking about my wellbeing, about you or any news from Wakanda.” 

They continued to talk about other unimportant things. Shuri showed her the thing she brought her. Ramonda smiled at everything and began to remanence of the meaning or memories of each thing. It was the last item that brought tears to her mother eyes. Her mother wasn’t so prone to cry, she did it when she was hit with the news of Baba’s death, the days after she emerged from her rooms looking undefeated. In their culture death was part of the cycle of things, it didn’t mean the end, just another stage. Her mother and she mourned T’Chaka quietly. She was Queen, she wasn’t going to crumble with ease. When a King died, wakandans often look up to the royal family, if they showed strength, their lives will be secured. 

It was a simple vibranium Bast figuring T’Challa had made for her when he was younger. It was right after he knitted his first Black Panther suit, which she had to improve, of course. When her brother finished knitting the suit, he had taken a liking for handling vibranium and made her mother a figuring of Bast.

“My boy.” She cried. “I couldn’t give him a proper burial. Not even a chance to bid him farewell. Bast and Sekhmet will never find him, he won’t be able to rest with his ancestors.” 

“I know mama. I promised I as soon as possible we will look for the body. He’ll have a burial proper for a King.” She embraced her mother one more time, tears felt in both women forearms as they cried for their loved ones. 

Next day came and Shuri wished time to slow down. She sat at the table drinking tea, waiting for her mother to show up. She was wondering how Okoye was handling the situation. She was sure whatever the General chose to do was the wisest idea. 

“You look thoughtful.” Her mother interrupted her thoughts. “When I left there was a problem with one of the near villages. A group of armed men took the village by surprise, the inhabitants are basically hostages of this men. We think they might be looking for vibranium, but don’t know yet.” Shuri explained. 

“We?” Her mother asked. 

“N’Jadaka and I.”

“N’Jadaka and you?” Ramonda zeroed her eyes on her. Shuri senses went on hyperawareness. 

“N’Jadaka, Okoye and me.” Shuri corrected as she gathered herself.

“He is _N’Jadaka_ now? A few months ago, he was The Usurper or Killmonger.” Her mother said with anger.

“We had had arguments about how I am addressing him.”

“There is the _We_ again.”

“Well, he corrected me in to call him by his Wakandan name.”

“He is not wakandan.” 

“Well mother whether you like or not the fact remains, he is N’Jobu’ son and he had as much as T’Challa, me or any other member of the tribes to fight for the Throne.” 

“Are you defending him? He is a monster. Don’t you think I know all he has done?”

“No, mama. I’m not defending him. It’s just this situation is more complicated than it looks.” Shuri argued. 

“There’s not complication Shuri, he killed your brother.” 

“And Baba killed his.” Ramonda paled at the reminder of what his husband had done and the repercussions of it. “None of this would have happened if Baba had brought both of them home.” Shuri continued. “I don’t agree with what he wants to do, but nobody can’t take away from him his right or his anger.” Ramonda sat on the chair with little grace, perhaps reality had hit her. “Which brings me to this. Did you know?”

“No.” Her mother responded. “One day he told me he was going to visit his brother and then he came back, he brought Zuri with him and told me N’Jobu had died in a shooting. Your father never mentioned his brother had a son.”

Shuri placed a hot cup of tea on her mother spot. “Baba lied to you too.” Shuri said with bitterness. Her mother just blinked. She took another sip of her tea. “My goal is to delay him until I can find something to change his mind or a way to remove him from the Throne.” She looked her mother sideways. 

“I’ve been praying a lot myself too, you know. Praying for a miracle to happen.” 

“I’ve noticed you didn’t bring a lot for you.” Her mother pointed out. 

“I will be leaving tomorrow.”

“What? Why so soon?”

“I programmed the lab to shut down again if I didn’t enter in seventy-two hour.”

“Well, there’s your chance to stop him once and for all.” 

“It’s not that simple, he promised to chase me. He has spies all over the world. Even here. You should be careful who you speak with. He’s not the only Wakandan who thinks the world should start over.” She warned her mother. Ramonda only accented with her head.

Ramonda prepared her favorite dish for lunch. How much she missed this, conversations with her mother. Being the only two women on the family had made them grew closer. They were friends too, and guilt came in waves whenever the subject on N’Jadaka came up. 

The hours went by until it was night again. Her mother had insisted on redoing her locks. He didn’t mind, she wanted to be cuddled by her. 

The rest of their conversations went from remembering old things to figuring out what to do next, the truth was neither of them knew exactly what to do in this situation. Nakia was nowhere to be found. At the moment everyone hands seemed tied up. 

 

This time it was her mother who woke up earlier, she was waiting for Shuri. She had packed her small bag back, this time she will travel lighter. 

In a couple of hours, the hovercraft would land to pick her up. They had a quiet breakfast.

 

“Do you really have to go?” Ramonda asked her one more time, standing next to her in the back of the house, Waiting for her ride.

“Yes, mother I have to.” 

“Promise me that you will take care of yourself.”

“I will mama.” 

Used to it, they felt the air shift around them, the invisible system was turned off, displaying the ship before their eyes. Shuri didn’t want to go so soon, but she feared N’Jadaka’s rage. Two Doras descended from the ship. 

“Princess.” One of them said. A reminder that she had to leave. Shuri turned to her mother. 

“I promised I will try to be back soon, mama.”

She climbed off the ship. Another two Doras were waiting for her. 

 

The ship landed in the heliport with little effort. From this height, she could see all Birnin Zana as always, it was breathtaking. “Where is the King?” She asked the Doras.

“The King is in a meeting with General Okoye.” She responded gently.

“Still having problems with the near village?”

“I’m afraid so, Princess.”

“Thank you.”

Good. Shuri thought she needed to be alone right now. There were still a few hours before the lab began automatic shutdown. She wanted to take a bath first and change her clothes. 

She laid on the bathtub, warm water engulfing her. A warmth cloth on her forehead and essences of lavender filling her nose. She knew this perhaps wasn’t the best way to fight a headache creeping through her skull, but she needed to relax. She was slowly counting the minutes to the exact reach of those infamous seventy-two hours. She could delay him even more if she just had stayed or run with her mother, stop him forever maybe. She wondered why he hasn’t barked into her doors, hurrying her ass into the lab. Was his silence regarding her arrival a test? She sunk into the tub, annoyed the water was no longer warmth.

She went into the lab missing ten minutes to the launch of the shutdown, sitting in her workstation she started to tinker with a gadget she had left undone. She heard a rich sarcastic laugh and a clap.

“Damn Princess you even spared a few minutes.” He was walking towards her. He wore his training clothes, a pair of loose black pants and a long sleeve sweater. 

Shuri said nothing, she rather focused on the toy at hand.

“You came back.” He continued. Standing right behind her, she felt his breath on the back of her neck. “Why did you come back?”

“I told you I was going to come back on time.” 

“Why did you come back at all, Princess? Was it because you told me or because you wanted?” He turned to her. She saw the vein on his forehead tensed and the muscles of his arms flexed. He was angry and confused. Possibly. 

“What would be the right answers to those question N’Jadaka?” She wanted to sound more sarcastic, but exasperation came out instead.

“You have word.”

“I have word.”

“Had I been in yo shoes I’d had run. Why did you come back?” He pressed the question again.

“I came back, isn’t that enough?” Her tone was hard. She had no way to know the right answer to that question. 

“I want to know why?”

“Why what?”

“Why didn’t you run when you had the chance?” He yelled at her face. She winced and the thunder of his voice. 

“I don’t know.” She yelled back as strong and loud and he did. “I don’t know. I don’t know.” She whispered to herself.

N’Jadaka went silence for a moment. His whole body was tensed as if a volcano was about to burst into action with the intention of taking her with it.

He sat in the workstation next to her, never looking at her, not even sideways. She saw his body relax. When she thought he wasn’t going to explode into another fit of rage she continued tinkering with the metallic toy. 

Long minutes passed and an eerily silence settled between them. Once in a while, she would look his way, his finger toying with his Kimojo beads. His brows were set into a deep frown, he looked as if he was trying to solve a puzzle. Shuri thought over an hour passed when he spoke again.

“How is your mother?” She was taken aback by this question. Why would he care how her mother was faring?

“She is fine. Still mourning and feeling a little lonely. She has helped in the house, but I guess she is one of your spies.” 

“Not her.” Well, that confirmed her suspicions. “I bet she wants to come back to the Palace and have all her riches back.” He said.

“I doubt she would want to be here with you as King.” He stayed in silence for another while after that. It was like talking with and an old computer who needed time to process the words before giving back a reply. 

“You told her ‘bout us?” N’Jadaka asked her, still not looking at her.

“Yes, sure. It was a very endearing conversation. Something along the lines of _Hey mom, do you remember N’Jadaka?... Yes, the same one who threw your son over a cliff…. The tall one…. Yes, him… we are having sex now.”_

“Shuri.” He warned.

“Of course, I didn’t. There’re things she doesn’t need to know.”

“What you think she’d thought of you if she finds out?”

“You know N’Jadaka I really don’t want to know.” She just had spent the last three days being eating by guilt and this conversation here wasn’t helping her.

“What you think she’d thought if she knew you’re helping me?”

“Excuse, but I’m not helping you.” She corrected him quickly. Indignation on her voice.

“You are not? Then what is yo ass doing here, Shuri?” He turned to look at her.

Again, with the same question. “I don’t know but be sure as hell I’m not helping you N’Jadaka. Do you think I want to be part of what you’re doing? No. You want to conquer the world and restarted it once again, but this time you want to be on top, not change the rules, you threw my brother off a cliff without the need to” 

“Ha, I didn’t become King, so I can spend the next few years fighting a civil war. And he would have done the same thing to me.” He argued. 

“Not, no my brother. He would have listened to you.” 

“Please.”

“No. When Baba died, and he found who killed him, my brother sat with this man and talked to him, my brother saw the grief and the loneliness in this man and he saw himself on him, but he never allowed his own grief to blind him with hate. He would have done the same with you.”

“So he could give me shackles.” His face hardened.

“That I don’t know, but he wouldn’t have killed you.” 

“Stop saying it like I sneaked into T’Challa’s room while he was sleeping and stabbed him in the back. He lost a fight, and I did the logical thing to do.” He said as a matter of fact. 

“Logic? N’Jadaka, do you even know the meaning of that word? What do you think it’s going to happen when you declare war to the world? Hum? What do you think the rest of the nations are going to do? Watch you burn the world? No N’Jadaka they’re going to fight back.” Shuri heard herself sounding like her mother, whenever she tried to explain something she didn’t understand as a child.

“Wakanda technology and weaponry is far more advanced than theirs, you made sure of that.” He smirked at her. His words made him sound like she was his accomplished.

“You think I’m the only genius who makes weapons and develop tech? Tony Stark and what left of Shield, who do you think they're going to side with? People are going to die, including people on your side.”

“Every person who wields a weapon will know the possible outcome, but they will do it for a brighter future for them and their children. That’s how revolutions are won.”

“What about people like us, black people who won’t want to fight for you because they know your methods are not the right ones, what are you going to do to them? Tell me.” 

“Hopeless individual who still believe the white man still care for them, as if they wouldn’t do the same if the if they were in our position. Oh, wait according to history they did exactly that. This is about justice Shuri.” What was worse was how right he sounded.

“Justice? Tell me N’Jadaka, when all is said and done, and you have nothing but ashes as companionship who are you going to offer this justice to?”

“You have little faith in your own armament.”

“N’Jadaka, we are all going to lose. All of us. When had ever been winners in a war? You should know. And don’t get wrong I know why you are doing this.” 

“No, you don’t Princess. You don’t. All your life you’ve been protected, and every opportunity has been given to you and the people of Wakanda, from the very beginning, it has always been like that. You don’t know the half of it. You never saw it or experience it yourself. The feeling that you’re nothing but a burden not worth the filth in their shoes. Have you ever started a race two miles behind? That’s what it feels like, you know you ain’t winning. The system is rigged that way. No matter what we do. Little had changed.” Shuri sighed afraid of keep hearing him. She hated the conviction of his words.

“You’re right I don’t know a thing. And I think there is no better person than you to lead the way, but not like this. You don’t want to even the field N’Jadaka, you want to trade positions.” 

“Whatcha you implying Princess? That I am like them?” He sounded offended at that. 

“Take my words however you want.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, enjoy it.

The last five days had been mentally trying for him. It wasn’t the fact that he had to deal the problem in the nearest village, he had dealt with humanitarian crisis many times, being physically there, not just commanding what to do as it was the case now. He has been out of focus ever since Princess told him she wanted to see her mother and he allowed it.

He had allowed it. 

Since when had he ever been so permissive? Fuck that, he is been out of focus since he stepped in this place. This mess with Shuri was another distraction keeping him out of balance. He had always known shit in life is not easy, especially his life. So, he always had opted for the less tangled option. Not attaching to anyone or anything. The only thing his was what he could carry with him at the moment that didn’t interfere with his goals. 

Shuri had managed to crawl under his skin, at first out the necessity of the weapons he required to achieve what he wanted, and now she had crawled further into him with another purpose. He never saw it coming. He should have kept his mind at ease and his dick in his pants. Once she would have finished unlocking every system at the lab, and every weapon was ensembled, he would have killed her or if he’d feel merciful arrested her for life. That way everything would be much less messy that it was right now.

He saw his plans crumbled when he said yes to her. He was waiting for her to never come back, but she had. That act alone had thrown him out his depts. All his life he had always been waiting for people to betray him. She was the first person with good reason to do it that chose to keep her word and come back. He saw sincerity in her face when he asked why she did it. Her actions and words to him were in plain English but felt like a foreign language. He was confused. She was the first person he couldn’t read, and he hated that. It put him at great disadvantage.

He hated that he couldn’t sleep well the first night she was away. He could better the second night because he did in her bed.

It’s been three days since her return and he had barely spoken to her. He couldn’t believe her words. He went back to sleeping in his bed, struggling to do it. He needed to rest. Pressing matters were almost literally at Wakandan’s door. 

Even though the small army that took control of the village was taken out by force from the place, they had destroyed the village’s infrastructure. Instead of a direct attack, Okoye offered a better solution, infiltrate the village at night and take the army by surprise, causing the least commotion possible. He and Okoye had supervised the whole operation. It was like going back to the army. Now he and the rest of the council were dealing with the repercussion of this. The villagers were in knowledge of a near country capable of helping them and defeating their enemies. It was a matter of time before they would end up in Wakanda boarder looking for help. 

The Royal council held a meeting to discuss his next move. Personally, he wanted to provide standard help. Medicine and food, nothing beyond that. The elders were debating whether it would be sensible for Wakanda to do more.

W’Kabi sat next to him, Okoye sat on the other side. Next to her was Princess Shuri, from time to time she would whisper something in the General ear, much to his, and surprisingly W’Kabi's annoyance.

He tried hard to hear what Shuri was whispering on Okoye ear, but it was difficult, he only could hear glimpses of words like help, water, and village. He would admit to himself the place was wrecked from top to bottom, many of the men were killed, tortured to get information. They didn’t have clean water and the cattle they had was also killed. If you asked him, it was their fault for not properly protect what theirs. 

A cacophony of voices filled the room, everyone was talking at the same time. He was getting tired. He took a deep breath. “We will do what I suggested the first time. Only food and medical supply will be handed. And that’s final.” Everyone in the room fell quiet with his words. 

“We should help them more.” Shuri chimed in out loud after a few minutes of silence. Every set of eyes turned to look at her. His eyes settled on her. She never returned the look, just kept looking straight ahead of her. 

He was about to argue her words when she interrupted him.

“I know somewhere in the lab I have the equipment to build a small aqueduct, and water purifier we no longer use. They are not state of art like what we have now, but it’s a small village they won’t need much. I have an entire group of people under my command that for time being are sitting on their asses at home. Medics, engineers and whatnots.” She was rambling at herself out loud for everyone to hear. 

She stood and walked to the elder of the merchant tribe, an old lady wearing a Gele in her head. “I know for a fact last that years you did well, you can offer these people a few livestock and seeds. One of the engineers can build them a glass house so they can produce food out of season. We can continue supplying food until theirs is ready for reap. No to mention we also have to build them schools, new houses…”

“Stop right there Princess, we are going to stay with the initial plan. My plan.”

“Why?” Shuri asked sounded confused and annoyed.

“Wakanda is known in the outside world as a third world country, we don’t need this kind of press.” He clarified.

“Oh, I see, the only kind of press is whatever you deem is correct for YOUR plans.”

She was making him angry now if he planned on taking over the world he didn’t need this kind of publicity, he wanted to make a strike by surprise. 

“I thought you wanted to help black people My King. You only want to do it when it suits you and have something to gain.”

N’Jadaka was reeling, how dare she to openly defied him in front of everybody. Blood boiled inside him, nose flared in anger. All this, while she stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed over her chest. Looking at him like he was a small child and she was waiting to stop his tantrum. He stood from the throne and he swore he heard the wood from the armrest cracked under his hand. 

He made his way to her, being a little surprise, well maybe not, she didn’t move an inch. He could feel all eyes on them, if she didn’t seem to mind why would he? He was already pissed about her words a few days back, but this open defiance was unacceptable. He hoped his brain worked up a plan when he gets to her. 

“Think of it as an investment.” she said. He stopped his tracks on her words. “If you help them and assist them, you will have loyal people who will fight for you when the time comes.”

“They’re peaceful people, they don’t know how to handle such advanced tech.” He replied.” 

“When the weapons are ready you can train them.”

He stood right in front of her, wanting to think his eyes were holding her in place, but her determination said otherwise. Not giving in to the urge to shake her frame, spank her, whatever to get her scared of him. He thought what she said, her words made sense. If he would help them, they would be in debt to him. 

“Don’t you want to be our people’s savior Erik?” She whispered into his face, only for him to hear. Dropping her eyelids to zero her eyes at him. She damn well knew in public and during an official matter should only address him by his title. She even used his American name to irk him further. What was she trying to do by provoking him? 

“I’m sure the will be your most loyal followers.” Sarcasm dripped from her mouth. He knew exactly what she was trying to do, cornered him into helping the villagers. He wanted to say no, he should say no. 

“We will do as I said before. Only the basic stuff.” He screeched between his teeth. 

“Well, since is obvious I’m not needed here, I’ll leave.” She said as matter of fact. She turned around and walked away from the Throne room, leaving everyone including him, stunted. He wanted to stop her but decided not to, he, they didn’t need a big spectacle. He will deal with this in private. 

He went back to sit on Throne only to dismiss everyone in the room. He felt everyone eyes on him the whole time, questioning how come he allowed this type of behavior time and time again. In the festival and now, here. The last thing he needed was to appear weak in the eyes of the people he was supposed to lead. Perhaps he should make an example out of her. He will have to think long and hard.

By the time everyone was gone he was still fuming. She dared to defy him. He was her King above anything else, no matter how many times they fuck. Just because she had let him play underneath her skirt didn’t give her any right to behave as she did. 

Later that day after lunch, which she didn’t show up, he trained with the Dora. He was particularly hard on them this time. After two hours of exertion, he still felt angry. He went all the way down to the lab to the object of his anger, but he couldn’t find her there. Again, wasting his time by not working. This woman had done everything to fire up his anger. 

He found her in her room, she was hunched in her desk, scribbling something on her notebook. He stood behind her, grabbed her arm, spinning her around so she could face him. 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He yanked her up, lifting her ass from the chair.

“That hurts.” She whimpered. Immediately he softened the gripe on her, still holding her in place. “I was trying to help people. Isn’t it what you said you’ll do?”

“You put on a brave show against me today Shuri, in front of everyone. What was your goal, woman? To humiliated me? You can’t talk to me like that, I am yo King, you owe me respect and obedience.”

“Respect maybe, but not obedience. And how could I respect you when stormed into this place boasting how our toys could help people like us, yet when you’re presented with the opportunity you passed on it because is not the kind of help you want to offer?” He hinted disappointment in her voice. “You could be better than that, but your rage has blinded you. I actually was trying to help YOU today.” She said softly. 

The galls you’ve got, you think because you let me in between your legs you got some sort of power over me, don’t matter what you do or say, you won’t change my mind. Your cunt ain’t that tight.” He watched Shuri open her eyes big, they became shiner with a sting of tears. He regretted his words the moment he blurted out. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that. It was cold on my part.” He let go her arm.

She turned her eyes away from him. He watched become silent and pensive, a small tear streamed down her face. She cleaned up her tear and straight up her spine, turning to him, she walked the two steps between them. 

“It’s Ok N’Jadaka I forgive you.” She told him, holding his gaze. He was waiting for rage, hard words and retaliation. Not this, he didn’t know what to do with this.

“What? What did you say?”

“I said I forgive you. I know what you’re doing. You’re pushing me away.”

What? He took two steps back. She was crazy. How could she forgive him like that? So easy. She was being sincere in her words. He frowned in deep thought trying miserably to convey words back at her. His head did a quick shook while his eyes blinked out of control. 

“Liar.” He raged at her, striding to the door, he turned to look at her one last time and. “Fuck you.” 

 

His back rested on the headboard of his bed, a bottle of some expensive alcohol in his left hand. He took gulps of it from time to time, he was naked, his eyes focusing on the wall across from him. Replaying the words of the last three conversations he had with Shuri. Paying little attention to the woman with her face between his legs. He had called her half an hour ago. She had stripped for him, eager than before. 

Zoya was currently trying to get him hard so he could proceed to fuck her, whenever he felt her tongue do something interesting, he would look down at her face, as attractive as it was, his dick remained flat. This was getting stupid. He pushed off her as gentle as he could.  


“Please leave. I shouldn’t have called you in the first place.” He told her defeated and a little inebriated. “Put your clothes on and don’t come back.” 

“My king I’m sure that if you give more time…”

“Zoya, this ain’t your fault. Sorry for the inconvenience.” Shit now he was apologizing to everyone.

Zoya got dressed and leave him alone, in his room. He put on some pants and a robe. There were two bottles of the same expensive shit he was drinking in the nightstand next to his bed. He calculated he was in the middle of his third bottle and he was only feeling a little dizzy. 

He walked towards her room like many nights before, this time he wasn’t planning on giving her dick, but a piece of his mind. As he walked through the hallways leading to her room, he stopped in the balcony where he first kissed her. Damn woman. The stars were out shining. He asked her once how come in a city with so many lights up at night, the stars were so visible. She told him the invisible shield that kept Wakanda concealed work as a screen that plays an image to the people outside and redirects the light of the inside to dark places at night. My update. She had boasted. Fucking smart woman.

He opened her door and found her sleeping in the bed. Right in the middle of it. His dick couldn’t get up, but she could sleep soundly in the middle of her fucking bed. She could at least only use her side. 

He put the half-emptied bottle of alcohol on her nightstand and crawled on the bed. He knelt with her torso between his thighs. He stared at her, she was sleeping on her right side, with one hand beneath her pillow, her breaths were calm and steady. How dare she?

He grabbed her arm and shook her awake. 

“What’s happening?” She said in a sleepy voice. She turned on her back to see him hovering above her. “N’Jadaka is something wrong?”

“The first time we fuck it was obvious that you were a virgin, you forgot to mention you were a voodoo priest too.”  


“What are you talking about?” She asked sounding clearer this time.

“I called in Zoya tonight.” He was smug. “You know, a real woman.” His smile disappeared as soon as she turned her face to sides. “There’s no other explanation on why I couldn’t get my dick up tonight. You must be a voodoo priest.”

“You are crazy.” 

“Maybe. Maybe you are water nymph after all and bewitched me that day when you came out of the river or was it that time when I found praying at the statue of Bast? Were you asking her to trap me? Woman? Hum. Answer me, woman.”

“N’Jadaka you’re scaring me.” She sounded disturbed by him.

He could not believe his ears. “I’m scaring you now? Now? You’ve read my file, you know what I’m capable of, you watched me killed Zuri and throw your brother off a cliff, as you like to point out. Shit, even today you seemed to have the balls to defy me in front of everyone in the council, and now that I’m barely speaking louder to you, you afraid of me? You crazy, that’s what you are.”

“You’re drunk and spewing irrational nonsense like never before, you’re out of it.” She bit back at him.

“Ohh Princess, I’ve never more lucid in whole fucking life. What the fuck is wrong with you?” He climbed off the bed sitting on the sides.

“How much have you drink? You need a lot of alcohol to get dizzy, once you've had the juice of the herb.” 

“Two and a half, so far.” He felt the bed shift as she climbed off the bed and sat next to him. She brought the bottle with him and took a swing at it. He watched her grimaced.

“You’re not used to strong shit I see.”

“I only drink wine on special occasions.” She clarified.  


He smirked at this. “Once again princess, What the hell is wrong with you?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me, N’Jadaka, you’re the one who needs help, not me.” 

“I was rude to you this afternoon and you forgave me like this.” He said as he clicked his fingers. “I told I was with another woman and you haven’t thrown me off your room yet.”

“Sometimes you act like a wild animal, you only react to things. You were angry at me. You said an awful thing and when you saw what you did, you apologized, and it didn’t take you days this time.” She seemed to avoid his comment about being with another woman, perhaps, she didn’t care. 

“You sayin’ that I’m irrational, but every step I make is calculated, I didn’t get here by accident. This was planned.”

“You are calculated, rude and methodical in many ways, yet when it comes to your emotions and feeling you don’t know what to do with them. I’ve been reading a lot lately, trying to figure you out. You’re sad.” She said as matter of fact. 

Well damn, fuck him. “You’ve been reading crap.”

“No, I have not. You have a lot of issues. I saw your face and how confused you were because I forgave you. You are also trying to push me away, it’s the only thing you know.”

“You psychoanalyzing me now princess?”

“Yes, in a way. This afternoon, after you told my cunt isn’t tight enough, you pushed me into abandoning you. When your father died he did that.”

“Watch it Princess. You talkin’ shit now.”

“It wasn’t his choice you, but still you were abandoned. And then my father chose to abandon you. This afternoon you were forcing me to leave you, so then you could rationalize it and make look like it was my choice. That’s not going to happen N’Jadaka.”

“Is that pity, Princess? or you have your hormones all over the place with me because I took your virginity? 

“See you’re doing again.” She pointed out. “And it’s not pity. I worry about you.”

“Stop that.” He demanded.

“Stop what?” 

“This nonsense of pop psychology. I am your first man, what do you know of relationships?”

“Name the last person, aside from your father that you cared about.”

She got him there.

“You can’t name one, can you? It seems to me we are in equal footing.” She looked pensive for a moment. “I’m willing to bet I know more about relationships than you.”

“Oh Yeah, how come?”

“I had a family N’Jadaka, you didn’t.” It was amazing the ability she had to destroy him with mere words. He clenched his fists. He hated that fact it was hard for him to read her, but apparently, she every bottom to push to make him react. He controlled himself from whatever emotion he was feeling. 

“You’re naïve.” Those were the best words he could find to refute her comment. 

“Call it what you want. I have far better experiences with human relationships than you.” 

He laid his head on her lap and closed his eyes. If he was confused earlier, this conversation had him bewildered. What exactly was she trying to accomplish with this path? N’Jadaka thought of all the girls and women he has been with. The ones that only want him for sex, those were his favorites. The ones who were expecting a relationship from him. When these turned out to be a good fuck, he would stay around until they got a little too clingy. That was his cue to go. Was Shuri being clingy right now? She didn’t show the symptoms of it. 

“You remember when you asked me about the last scar on my body.” 

“Yes. You told me it was Klaw.”

“I carved one right before him. Her name was Linda.” He opened his eyes to find her looking down at his.

“Why did you kill her?” She asked with a worried frown, well that was about to change.

“She became a burden.” Even him was impressed by how cold he sounded.

“What was your relationship with her?” He could hear the trepidation in her voice. Will she finally fear him like she was supposed to?

“We work together, she helped me with the initial part of my plan to get here. We also fucked. A lot.”

She pushed his head off her lap and ran to the restroom. He heard her lift the seat of the toilet and throw up. That should have been her first reaction to him.

He stood and waited for her at the frame of her bathroom door. He set his eyes on her like he was about to attack her, but what he was waiting was the backlash. He wanted to fully experience it. Her eyes looked teary. Did he cause it or was it the throwing up? Either way, he was the root of it.

“That’s what you're going to do to me? Kill me? When I become a burden.”

“You are a burden.” He watched her eyes open round, like plates and her chest heaved. “Scratch that Princess, you’re worse than a burden. You make me act delicately around you. Handle my mouth trying not to hurt you.”

“You are doing a terrible job at it.” She refuted hotly. 

“I don’t like the fact that I have to apologize to you.” He kept explaining. 

“You don’t need to.” She screamed back.

“No, but I can’t help it.” He confessed. Once he said the words he wanted to take them back. She looked at him with scrutiny in her eyes, just like he was trying to make sense of what he said. 

Shuri was eerily calm today. He told him he killed the last person he slept with because she became a burden. Will she forgive him again?

“I want to sleep with you.” He blurted out. _Boy, you need a filter for mouth today._ No matter how drunk he was he never spewed shit like this before.

“You are crazy, you told me you killed your last lover and before that you told you were with another woman, a Real one.” She emphasized the last part. She was mad now. He gave her a slide smile. There it was, what he wanted. She was still calm though. 

“N’Jadaka, is best if you leave my room right now.” As soon as she said the last word he started to feel panic. Why was she acting so calmly? Didn’t she care?

“No. This afternoon you told me you ain’t abandon me. What happened?” He was being half sarcastic half worried.

“I never said I was going leave you. I am mad at you right and I don’t wish to see you at this moment.”

 _Wait what?_ “Stop taking in riddles woman. One minute you forgive because I was rude to you, next you mad at me, rightfully so, and now you tellin’ me you ain’t leaving me. Make you up yo mind woman?”

“Ok, first thing, stop calling me woman. It sounds so patronizing when you say it, especially since I’m not a Real one.” She screamed at him. “Second, you confessed you were actively trying to cheat on me, but your penis got in the way. I am fucking mad at you. Third, you also confessed you killed a woman you help you and you used to sleep with. I want to berate you. On top of it all, you asked me to sleep with you, so you can get the best of me and I start to scream at you like I’m doing right now. You have issues, you’re pushing me away because you don’t know how to be in a relationship of any kind. Being sad and angry it’s all you know. You are clearly confused. And lastly, for the thing I’m most mad at you right now is because you’re a hypocrite. You have in your power the means to improve people lives, but you don’t want to do it.” She stopped to breathe with her eyes downcast. “Are you happy now N’Jadaka? I really didn’t want to yell at you, but you won. You know what’s funny? You parade around here acting all mighty and kingly when you actually have low standards for yourself. Now get out.”

Her body was shaking by how angered she was. Her hand was pointing him door. But something told him, she wasn’t only angry, she was also disappointed. He had seen her angry before and it never carried that touch of sadness. 

N’Jadaka decided to leave alone for time being, perhaps it was better if he ended this, whatever it was. She was seeing too much in him. Shit he didn’t think he had.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, sorry I didn't update earlier. Life got in the way, work also did that. Such a shame I have to work to pay the bills and on top of everything I got the flu. I'm feeling better now. 
> 
> Anyway this a new chapter, it's not my best, if there's any. I hope you enjoy this. 
> 
> Have a great weekend, again I'm open to criticism, any mistakes let me know. I'll be correcting this anyway.

The sun hasn’t come out yet, but she was up. Two days ago, she had gathered a handful of the men and women who worked for her at the lab. They were seven including her. The plan was relatively easy. Blend with the rest of the aids sent to The Village. Instead of just bring primary care and food. She had planned on taking them water filters, solar panels, vaccines, and some seeds. It was the least she could do. Perhaps it was some sort of atonement for what was coming. 

Everything fit on the long backpack they were carrying. She and intern had more bags full of utilities. This was going to be their third trip. She covered her head with a bandana. She wore long loose cargo pants and one size too big t-shirt. She was confident in everybody being busy helping other that they wouldn’t notice her. So far it was working. 

The first day she arrived she could see with her own eyes what she had seen in pictures days before. It didn’t compare to the images at all. Dozens of tents were settled in the outskirts of the village. Most of the houses were torn down, entire walls on the floor or windows and doors hanging loose slowly weaving whenever a small breeze pass. Only a few remained standing. Even though there wasn’t the smoke that showed in the images, the place looked like a bomb dropped on the village. Most of the infrastructure was on the ground. The fields were black from the remaining of the fires. The air smelled burnt. They could use some of Wakanda soil-restoring tech. She made a mental note.

She saw a young man and a woman burying a body, they shoveled burnt dirt atop their loved one. While tears streamed down their faces and mouths chanted prayers to their gods. 

People were cramped into the tents. At least the help N’Jadaka sent were settling more. The injured and the ill were treated in a big one-story building. Dozens of people laid in the small beds. Men, women and children, many of them had bandage all over bodies. The smell of blood and propylic alcohol slapped her in the face the moment she stepped in. At least there were enough doctors and supplies, but she was more worried about the aftermath of this catastrophe. Mortal deceases spread fast in places with no clean water and a bad or nonexistence sewer systems. Cholera and Malaria being a couple of them. She asked for her interns to start vaccinating people. Every person should wear a green wristband in sing that they already being vaccinated so accidental overdose will be avoided. 

After expending the whole morning vaccinating as many people as possible. they had proceeded to install the water filters and explain to the woman in charge of the town its use. They brought only three that day. She figured out they will need more. She also explained how to use the solar panels for energy. They were small but efficient. She placed where it was difficult for other people to noticed them. 

In the council, she spoke of building a simple sewer system, but due to the machinery and the workforce needed for that. She doubted she could do it without N’Jadaka knowledge. What she was doing will do for now. She was afraid of The King might do, not only to her but to the people who helped her. 

She had always taken a great pride to what she could with her mind and her hands. Often time she had found herself surprise of her own intellect and genius, but for the first time in her life she could see the effect it had on people who truly needed it. These people weren’t Wakandan who had had everything insured. Over the years her technology had accommodated Wakandan, and everything was taken for granted. But here in this village, after what just happened, she felt like she actually did something. And she understood N’Jadaka’s words when he arrived. She also understood how lost he was. 

The three days she and her engineers traveled to the village went by rather quickly, they tried to do everything possible to go unnoticed. Shuri was looking for the excuse she will have to say to The King, about her absence in the lab. 

 

_____

 

She was coming out of the shower, finishing drying the water from her skin she hung the towel in the hook of the bathroom door. For the last three days, she would try to get rid of the smell of burnt and blood from her skin. 

Stark naked she stood in from of her drawers to pick out the underwear. It wasn’t much to decide from it was all mostly white cottoned underwear. She walked to the body mirror, bending over to put on her pants when she saw him, leaning against her door. 

“Danmit N’Jadaka, don’t do that.” She screamed, putting a hand on her chest to control her breathing. She wasn’t afraid of him. But he just scared the fuck out of her. It came as a second thought the fact that she, unbeknown to her had put on a show for him. Looking at his face it appeared it didn’t affect him at all. 

“Where were you yesterday?” He asked in a very serious tone. His arms crossed in front of his chest. Eyes burning directly into her. He looked pissed. 

“In the village.” She answered without hesitation. Last night when she was getting rid of dirt she had decided to tell him half a truth. In case he asked. I was seeing with my own eyes what happened there. She continued putting on clothes while they were speaking. 

“How is it?” He asked with unmasked interest. Pushing himself off the door. Did he really care?

“You have seen the images, right?”

He nodded his head. His eyes holding hers. Sometimes he was a hard book to read.

“Well, N’Jadaka is worse, you should go yourself in see it. it’s devastating, you know what I was thinking when I was there? You were right, your words when you arrived. We could do more, you should do more. I went to see how I could help. People are hurting.” She walked to where he was standing after she finished arranging her blouse. “I know you said you didn’t want to do more, but while I was there, I was thinking. They need some sort of processing water system. Not having access to clean water or a good way of disposing of residual water could lead to all kind of deceases. It will be great if we could help them at least with that.”

“You keep pushing it.” he said in a threatening tone, but she was used to it by now, it could mean nothing. 

“I keep pushing it because it’s important.” She insisted.

“My answer remains the same.” The hard looked on his face deepened even further. An unmovable force. 

“I thought so.” She heard herself so sad that it had startled her core. Hope was running through her fingers. 

She put her shin over his shoulder. “You could save all these people N’Jadaka.” She pleaded one more time. Shuri breathed him in. He smelled like clean and musk. She missed him. His skin was so warm. “Think of all the good you’ll do.” She pushed herself from and positioned her body between his legs, reached out his face with her finger, holding his head with her hands. She liked him like this. Peaceful, it remained her of a child. 

“Think of all the lives you’ll save. They are parentless children in that Village N’Jadaka and you can give them a better future.” She was trying to appeal to the child in him. He looked at her straight in the eyes, his dark brown orbs filled with sadness and understanding. He covered her hands with his. His fingers began to follow the path of her arms up and then down her torso until he encircled her frame in an embrace. Pulling her to his body. His head now rested against her stomach. Her arms cradled his head. It felt nice, being like this with him. 

He untangled him from her abruptly and walked to the door. He gave one last look before he left.

Could she have had possibly stroke a nerve inside him? She couldn’t tell. He could guard his emotions so much sometimes, it was impossible to know. 

She sighed. Lately, she’s been having this dreaded feeling inside, as something horrible could happen at any time. it was festering in the pit of her stomach and some night it kept from sleeping.

She finished dressing and tried not to think about it so much otherwise she would go insane. She had other important things to focus on. At least she was somehow content with herself, she did everything within her reach to help these people. One thing was to move around some small water filters and vaccines. The other was trying to take out the heavy machinery out of Wakanda without having N’Jadaka noticing it.

 

She was once again mindlessly toying with one of the gadgets, it felt like that all the time lately. when she heard steps approaching her direction. She turned to see Khari coming her way. He had a smile plastered in her wholesome face. it was contagious, regardless of the turmoil inside her. 

“Princess Shuri.” He greeted her. 

“I have told you, you can call me Shuri.” She looked at him up and down. “What are you so happy?” She asked him, sounding a bit gloomy. 

“I just received a letter from my university. They have approved my thesis.” He was emanating cheerfulness. 

“Great for you Khari.” She was happy for him, but she was holding so much inside her that she couldn’t take anybody happiness. 

“Yes, it is a great day, I just told my girlfriend, she so happy for me.”

“Is there anything that I can help you with?” She asked him afraid of sounding rude. Normally people didn’t just burst into her lab. 

“Yes, I also wanted to let you that the work at the Village is almost done since you were so worried about it. I thought you might like to know how everything it's going.”

She smiled to herself. She really went unnoticed, she was a bit proud of herself. “Thank you, Khari, that’s thoughtful of you.” 

“Also, I was wondering if you would like to have something to drink with me? Outside of the Palace.” He asked in a serious tone, emphasizing the last part. his eyes open larger than usual. 

She was surprised by the request, but upon further inspection of his body language, he wasn’t blushing or anything that might imply he was interested in her. 

“Yes, sure.”

After skipping the guards, they found themselves sitting in one of the corners of Wakanda. It was a small coffee shop located in one of the less transited streets of Birmin Zana. It was a lovely place she never been to. It was decorated with old tribal drawings and the staff was very friendly.

She wasn’t such big coffee drinker, so she chose to drink tea. Khari the other hand was gulping down a latte. 

“So, what’s so important and mysterious that we had to leave the palace?” She asked out curiosity and a bit of annoyance.

“I Know what you did.” Khari replied. 

Shuri opened and then watched with frowning eyes. What do you mean you know what I did?” She asked nervously.

“I saw at the camp next to the Village, you thought people didn’t notice you, but I did.” 

“Ahh, that? What would it matter if you saw me?” She tried not to sound defensive. 

“Is not that you were there, but were you doing there. I saw installing the water filters and as far as I’m concerned, those weren’t part of the King’s help. I also tested one of the vaccines you had.”

Shuri started to get a little scared, N’Jadaka knew she was there, but she didn’t want to know to what would happen if he heard she disobeyed further. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” She said sounding dumb.

“It’s all right. I won’t tell anybody. I’m glad you did, these needed all the help they can get.” Khari told her with a smile on his face. She was relieved. Good, because she was starting to get nervous. “I just wanted to let you know that I saw what you did, and it was great.”

“You’re not mad because I disobeyed direct orders from the King?” 

“No.” He said nonchalantly. “He was wrong, and you were right.” He explained. “Wakanda could do more.” 

“Good that you think like that. But you could have told me these in the lab. Not the I mind going out.” 

“Well, I thought the Palace was filled with ears.”

“It is. Don’t get it wrong. But not my lab. It’s filled with cameras though.”

“Anyway now, that its out there I wanted to offer you my assistance. If you ever need to go back to Village to help you can count on me.” He offered. Khari was really a great person. 

“Wow, Khari, look at you. Who would had thought you hide a rebel behind al the medicals titles?” She mocked him. He laughed in kind. 

The kept on sipping their beverages and enjoying the moment. The conversation diverted from the initial topic to other things. More about Khari studies and Shuri’s new advances on her technology. 

 

_______________________________________________________

 

It was a hefty couple of days, between the arranging the help for the village and the arguments with Shuri, not to mention he was growing restless every day, it’s been months since she started to fix the Lab System. 

The last encounter he had with Shuri had left him rather rattled. She has laid out her thought on him very clear. She thought he was a peasant who didn’t know what he was doing. She called him a child. She was right in one thing though, he shouldn’t have Zoya call in again. That was humiliating for all parties. 

He had his reasons not to go all out in helping this little Village. He didn’t have to explain himself to anyone, especially not a bratty over privileged Princess. 

And yet you felt the need to tell her why you killed Linda. Haha. Bitch, you are screwed. 

He hated not knowing where he stood when it came with Shuri, she was a rather confusing person. 

N’Jadaka was relaxing in the balcony of his room failing to read a book. Danm he missed the days when he was assertive. Lately, he had acquired the costume of replaying everything in his head and second guess every decision he made. That’s why he stuck to his first decision to only help the basic need of the villagers.

He felt one of the Kimojo beads in his wrist buzzed, he pressed the bead and a holographic image of Shuri popped up in front of him. 

“Yes.” He responded 

“N’Jadaka, I have something important to tell you. Meet me at the lab.”

He put the book down and headed to the Lab. He found her in her workstation fidgeting with her kimojo beads. 

She wore a gray knee-length skirt and a green loose blouse. She smiled tightly at him, but her eyes were filled with sadness. Her hair was pulled and felt down her back. 

“You wanted to say something to me?”

“Yes, I called you here to let you know that it’s done. I have finished it. The lab is ready. It’s been ready for about a day now, I was just running some tests to see if everything was in order.”

“That’s great news.” He expressed.

“Is it?.”

He chose not to respond to that. “So, I can commence the manufacturing of weapons?” He had mixed feelings about the news. He was elated his plans will come through. He smiled big only to find her a deep concerning frown in her face.

“Yes, you can.” She spat reluctantly. “Before I would like to go through some stuff with you.” She cleared her throat.

“The hologram that shields Wakanda can also be used as a shield for attacks, so the country will hold in case of missiles. You will find the instructions in a manual. I print it on sheets since you fond of reading the old fashion way. If there a nuclear attack which is likely to happen the Shield will be able to stop the bomb. But not the radiation, we have come up with some cures for different types of cancer, but the constant exposition will end up killing everybody.” 

She twisted on her kimojo beads, extended her hand and gestured him to do the same. She placed the bead she just took out on his beads. He thought when this moment arrived it was going to be a big gesture, instead was an unceremoniously as grabbing the car keys of a used car you picked up from the dry cleaners.

“I have also disabled the logarithm that shuts down the lab, you will have full access to it without my help.” She explained. 

His dreams ever since he was a teen was about be fulfilled. He will deliver justice to the world and restart everything in the way it should.  
“Before you go trigger happy N’Jadaka, I want you to think long and hard what you are about to do.” 

“Oh, Princess trust me I’ve thought about every day for many years now, I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you now?”

“Yes.” He snapped at her. He was getting defensive. 

“When I was little, I used to sneak on my father and brother conversations from time to time. Normally he always has the same chatter with me. But some days he was grooming T’Challa to take over the throne some day and become King. In these conversations, he will always ask my brother some tricky question. I remember one in particular. Baba asked my brother what a King was? my brother in his youthful ignorance answered that a King was someone everyone should obey and serve to. To which my father replied that he was wrong. My father then explained to him that a King was Three things: A father, a servant and a ruler.”

“A father because he had to ensure the wellbeing of his people. A servant because he had to ensure the wellbeing of his people, and ruler because he had to ensure the wellbeing of his people. When you first show yourself, you said my brother was the King of the world because as far as you were concerned life started here.”

She stared at him looking for a reaction, but he wasn’t going to give away any. There were no words in this planet that would change my mind. 

“This was what I always wanted for a long time.”

Her eyes swollen up with tears. She looked defeated. He didn’t know how to feel about her. She gulped and pushed her tears back. 

“What do plan to do with me?” She asked him, her voice almost a whisper.

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t need me anymore, and I was thinking I would like to go to my mother’s.” 

“You’re leaving? You said you wouldn’t leave me.”

“I said that I know. But I don’t think I have the stomach to watch what you will become, all thanks to me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Trust me it’s not a compliment. As I was saying I would like to be with my mother.” Sounding more resolute this time.

“No.” 

“Excuse me? You don’t need me anymore.” 

“You will remain here. You will be an asset in the future.” 

“This is going to blow up in your face. We might be an advanced nation, but that doesn’t mean other army and armament can’t harm us. When all of this is done you don’t have anything but ashes around you because everyone is dead who is going to present this justice you speak of to?” Her voice sounded so sad. 

“That’s isn’t going to happen, I will be victorious. I didn’t train and ran exercises in the army for nothing. And there more than one way to bring people to yield that by gun’s point.” He planned to attack in all ways possible. 

“Fine N’jadada, destroy the world, be the King of the ashes.” She gave her back to him and stormed out of the lab. 

“You ain’t going anywhere, so don’t anything stupid.” He shouted her.

He will show her, he will show everybody. He and his people will rise to glory, and he will be King of a never-ending, ever shining empire. 

This was such complex emotion, yes, he was happy, yet something was missing. And there were Shuri’s words to him. What she trying to accomplish by saying those words to him. Don’t matter. Tomorrow will be the beginning of a new era and he was going to be the father of it. 

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

It has been hours since she had broken the news to N’Jadaka, and yet she was surprised the whole Palace wasn’t hectic preparing for war. He had won, and it was little why she could do about it. She had brought death upon the world for giving this man such power. She wanted to cry.

This morning he had ordered the production of the armament, it will be a matter of days for it to reach the hands of the war dogs located all over the globe. The Wakanda Army will display all over the world and what she feared the most will begin. Many people will day, and that blood will be in her hands. 

She laid on her bed thinking how she could let this happened? Was so blind for him? she refused to see he was already lost. He hoped her words had a better effect on him. 

He was a smart man; couldn’t he see there was a better way to get what he wanted? She was the worst of the worst, she had laid with a monster and enabled him to commit all this atrocity. 

She felt so tired, waking up this morning to grab some breakfast, just to hear him talking with W’Kabi about the plans the had made, turned her stomach upside down. 

Her Kimojo beads vibrated and a face displayed in front of her. 

“Princess Shuri, we need your assistance in the lab, fast.” One of the interns screamed. His face was positively worried. She wondered what N’Jadaka has done this time. 

She put on some decent clothes as far as she could. It was nice even if it for such malign motives to see the lab full of people again. But some interns were running in the same direction while other got out of the way. She fastened her pace until she reached the medical bay. Four doctors were working on somebody. They were screaming instruction at each other while one of them kept the pressure on the patient. She walked closer to peak who this person was. 

N’Jadaka laid on the bed, cover in blood, looking ashen while a vibranium blade was embedded on his left side. 

Her knees began to tremble, she was sweaty and cold at the same time, she wanted to sit. No! she needed to lay down on the floor. She leaned against the nearest wall. She felt her heart slow down. 

“Why was he calling your name?”

She heard a familiar voice behind her. She was going insane or dying because she could hear the dead. She turned around and saw his face. It was the last thing she saw before she passed out.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an update. I hope you like this one. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.

Nakia couldn’t decide what was harder. Finding T’Challa without raising suspicions or nurturing his memory back?

After days trying to come up with a plan to take Wakanda back from the hands of the Usurper, no viable plan was sorted out. The resignation took over her and she put all her hope on Shuri detaining him as long as possible. She decided to give his love at least a proper burial. So, she embarked in a search for the body of the former Wakandan King. She well knew more than anyone the new King had spies everywhere so she had to be careful y make her presence go completely unnoticed. 

She found a map of all the small villages the waterfalls led to. She went to every village one by one. Masking her inquiring of men emerging from the rivers with other random questions. To the locals, she might appear crazy. Always watching her back hoping if she got discovered, the War Dog at least granted her the opportunity to give T’Challa’s body a proper burial. 

Weeks passed before she heard a rumor of a man coming out of the water in one of the banks of the river of the next village. It took her two days to reach the said village. She spoke with some of the villagers avoiding all suspicions. All her hopes had died down when she heard the man in question was alive. 

She stayed for one night in the small town trying to recollect more information. Next day she went to the river to talk with a family that lived nearby. She saw him. There was a small boy next to him playing with a wooden boat. They both were laughing. He looked so happy. He was using short pants, reaching his knees and was shirtless. She approached them with caution trying not to scare them. Upon further observation, she noticed T’Challa was fishing. 

“T’Challa?”

He turned to her. Her eyes could not believe it. There he was alive and well.  
Standing tall before her. 

“Excuse me miss, I think you are confusing me?” He said. 

Confused Nakia insisted. “T’Challa is me, Nakia.”

“Sorry Miss, but I do not know any Nakia. I think you had the wrong man.”

They stared at each other for a long time. She came to the realization he had forgotten them and who he was. Fear crept inside. She wasn’t sure if her heart could handle this roller-coaster of emotions. If he had such severe amnesia, she would need to do this at a slow pace.

“You are right. My mistake.” She said, concluding she needed another approach. 

After that, she continued to purposely bump into him and became his friend. It turned out that an old couple who lived by the river had found him. They had lost their son recently and had viewed his arrival as a gift from the gods for losing their son. The boy was their grandson, who thought of T’Challa as a big brother. When she thought he was ready to hear her again, she told him who he was, about his family. She even told him the stories of some of his scars. She convinced him when she showed him the vibranium tattoo he had under the skin of his neck. 

When it was time to leave T’Challa told to his new-found family he would never forget them and that he will come back.

They moved to a bigger more developed town. Nakia made sure there were not fallowed, kept everything on the low. It took her months of feeding him everything that happened since T’Chaka passing. She told him everything he did to avenge it, why he changed his mind at the end. What happened to his uncle and cousin, and the repercussions it brought, how he felt about it. What Kilmonger did. Where his mother was and what his sister was doing. 

Nakia spirit fluctuated between hopefulness and despair. Some days he could recall details and other he seemed so absent. His face wrapped in a never ending frown, he looked like he was trying too hard to remember everything but couldn’t.

This kept going until two weeks ago he woke up and began to tell all that he could remember. He spoke of his mother, Shuri, and his father. He spoke of Wakanda. And he remembered how he lost his throne. From that moment they began to plan his comeback. She told him about how she managed to still two heart-shaped flowers. She had them frozen to keep all properties intact, back then she was expecting M’Baku to help them, but he decided not to. 

A week ago, they arrived at the safe house she was staying after her departure from Ramonda side. It was a small house in the outskirts of Laos. They were saved there. So far as she was concerned, they haven’t raised any suspicions from War Dogs yet. Their plans to go back to Wakanda began. Nakia wanted to tell Ramonda about T’Challa, but he insisted to wait until he got the Throne back. She recognized T’Challa was having self-doubts. She reassured him that he had to do this, not only for the good of Wakanda but for the good of the world. It was T’Challa who prepare the Heart Shape juice, after all, he had seen done the process far more times than her. Nakia dug a shallow hole on the backyard. 

Luckily, Killmonger wasn’t aware of the tunnel on the back of the Sacred Garden. To her horror and T’Challa’s, they saw what he did. Everything was completely burnt. T’Challa stopped in the middle of it to contemplate the damage. She saw this strong man’s eyes water at the sight. She reminded him it could be repaired. 

They walked all the way to the left-wing side of the Palace, they both knew it was the least visited part of the place, most of the royal chamber and most used rooms including the Throne were on the right wing. They were heading to the Royal Library. She knew for a fact it been years since anyone entered there, due to Shuri great idea of digitalizing all the books. The last time she was there, it was years ago when she and T’Challa sneaked in to have sex. In one of the walls of the enormous room, there was a collection of ancient Vibranium weapons. T’Challa was sure Kilmonger had restricted the Lab. He took a sword that probably was centuries old. 

After they left the library it wasn’t long before they were caught. T’Challa immediately began to demand to talk to Kilmonger shouting the Challenge wasn’t over.

They were brought to the Throne Room were Kilmonger was waiting for them. The first thing she noticed about Killmonger if the crown hanging in his neck, then his attire. Everything far more relaxed and flashier than T’Chaka or T’Challa would have worn. He gave them an evil smile, flashing his golden canine. At his side was W’Kabi who greet them with despise in his features. Some of the Doras were with them.

W’Kabi used his Kimojo beads to call his men. It would take them minutes for them reach the Palace, considering W’Kabi’s Tribe leave by the border. 

“There ain’t no more challenging shit.” Kilmonger said.

T’Challa launched at him and the fight took over. There was nothing anybody could do. According to tradition, T’Challa wasn’t death nor he had yield. On top of that, it was a surprise attack inside the palace with no armies. 

Kilmonger evaded T’Challa strike and took the spears of a Dora Millaje standing close. 

It was Killmonger time to launch forward to T’Challa. 

At first, they fought with the weapons taking turns to attack and evade. Kilmonger made a superficial cut on T’Challa’s arm and Nakia feared a deja vu. The difference now and the first fight between them, T’Challa had taken the Heart Shape Herb juice and was able to recover fast, but so was Killmonger.

All the while the room started to fill up with people. Okoye who wasn’t in the Room when of T’Challa arrived went in and found her. it was cleared by her expression she was happy to see him alive. 

She returned her eyes to the fight. But this time they both were weaponless.  
T’Challa’s foot connected a blow on Killmonger chest, sending him several feet on the ground. He landed right beside the broken spear. Killmonger took hold of it but couldn’t do much as T’Challa reached to him and began to throw punches at him. Killmonger found a way out from underneath T’Challa and got on his feet. T’Challa did the same but Killmonger still had the broken spear in hands. They battled for it, Killmonger trying to plunge it on T’Challa. It was T’Challa who plunged it on Killmonger. 

Nakia watched as he opened his eyes big in his surprise. 

“Nice move cousin.” He said and smiled. The smiled ran from his face in the next blink. 

“Where is Shuri?” Killmonger asked. Bring Shuri. A second later the dying man gazed down to see the blood running from his body. It was a thick trail of red liquid going down his torso. He fell to his knees, T’Challa followed him, keeping the spears in place. 

Without hesitation, T’Challa shouted for doctors. One of the Doras moved fast, taking orders from the new reestablished King. She wasn’t surprise on T’Challa request, sometimes he could be too nice to a fault.

Nakia saw T’Challa whispered something on Killmonger ears. 

“I want Shuri.” He responded looking around as if Shuri would appear out of nowhere.

The King saw him quizzically and even she wondered why would Killmonger wanted to see Shuri so desperately.

The Room filled with doctors rushing to the dying man. With caution and keeping the spear still, they managed him into the hover-bed and headed towards the medical bay. 

After this T’Challa exchanged a few glances with W’Kabi, who took a few steps his direction, his face was expressionless, it was hard to read what he would do next. He drew his weapon in order to fight him, but he was stopped by the blade of a spear pressuring into his neck. At the end of it was Okoye, looking at her husband with a stoic face. 

“Will you kill me? For him?” He asked.

“For Wakanda, I would. Tell them to retrieve.” Okoye demanded, talking about the men he had called in a few minutes ago. 

______________________________________________________________

 _I am not my father_ , were the words going around his mind as soon as he pierced N’Jadaka with the spear. 

For some reason, the dying man in front of him kept asking for his sister.

“Doctors, we need doctors, fast.” He demanded. His hand still in place holding the weapons preventing from spilling more blood.

 _I am not my father._

T’Challa leaned down on N’Jadaka ears. “You are not dying on me. I am not my father.”

Seconds later the room filled with doctors who helped the dying man into a bed and took hold of the spear and rushed him into the medical bay.

He saw W’Kabi approached him with his weapon drawn. He stopped short by Okoye with her spear.

His mind was elsewhere, more specific on the man dying still calling for his sisters. Dreading the worse and driven by curiosity, he followed the doctor to their destination. He wanted to know why was N´Jadaka calling for Shuri. He wanted an explanation in case he died. 

He saw the doctors began to work on N´Jadaka. They stabilized him. He saw a known figure in the corner of his eyes. Shuri paled at the sight of N´Jadaka dying, her body trembled, and a sob escaped her lips. He watched reached for the nearest wall trying not to crumble into the floor. All this time she hasn’t noticed his presence. 

Her reaction only managed to fuel his curiosity. “Why was he calling your name?” Scowling himself as soon as the words blurted out of his mouth. Those weren’t the first words he wanted to tell his sister after all this time but were the words running in his head as soon as  
N´Jadaka called for her. It wasn’t on Shuri nature to be happy about somebody dying, but he wasn’t expecting this reaction from her. 

If possible, her eyes widen bigger before she closed them and passed out on the floor. He rushed to her side before her head hit the ground. He shook her a little to wake her up. She was cold to the touch and her rate had slowed down significantly. 

It took her a few long seconds but Shuri recovered consciousness, her eyes open. The initial surprise he expected displayed on Shuri face followed by another sob and tears running heavily down her face. She was in shock and he didn’t blame her. She hugged him so tight he thought she could break him. She continued to bawl her eyes out in his shoulder. He completely forgot about his question when she stopped her sobbing to ask for N’Jadaka.

“Is he going to be alright? She sobbed. I don’t want him to die.” She declared. What happened between these two in his absence?

She went back to hug him. He saw Nakia approaching him.

“T’Challa.” She called his name, shifting his attention from his sister to her. “W’Kabi called back his men and Okoye arrested him until further notice.” 

At these words, he was relieved a war didn’t break out. He couldn’t help to feel more sadness than he already had. When W’Kabi presented N’Jadaka to him months ago, he believed W’Kabi did what any other person would do in his position, but today he saw a man willing to kill him. He had lost a friend. He had also felt bad for Okoye. She was a strong-willed woman, it probably wasn’t easy for her.

Shuri was still holding him in place, she wasn’t crying anymore. “Shuri wouldn’t you like to go to your room? I think you had many emotions today.”

“No. I’m staying right here.” She said, letting him go. “I must stay here. I have to make sure the surgery goes well.” Her voice sounded so sorrowful. They both got on their feet. Her eyes were solely focusing on the group of doctors working on N’Jadaka. Once again, her words and actions startled him.

“Shuri, what happened to you? what happened between the two of you?” He wanted to know more than ever.

She lowered her head and looked at the floor as if she dropped something of value.

“I will tell you later. I promise.”

“T’Challa.” He heard Nakia’s voice. “Should you send for your mother?” She asked.

“Yes, yes send Okoye to retrieve her.” He ordered.

As curious as he was right now, he had to put his whole attention in his country and undo everything N’Jadaka did to his country and his council. 

He walked to the communication bay, several people were working on their stations monitoring the screens. 

T’Challa stood behind them.

“Pay attention here, please.” He commanded.

“From this moment on until I deem it necessary all communication with the outside world would be cut, nothing will go out, nothing will come in. Migration is restricted for the time being unless I say otherwise. Only people with my permission will have the freedom to come and go. Anybody who attempts to leave or enter Wakanda will be detained for twenty-four hours for interrogation. If by any chance somebody in or out of Wakanda is successful in communication, the information will be delivered to me sealed and unseen. And I want a report of all war dog’s locations in the last year especially the one the former King N’Jadaka had contact with. Rogues or not.” 

They nodded at his orders. He wasn’t planning on extending the martial Law for more than a few days, but he needed to take hold of his country. 

Ayo filled him in all that happened in his absence. He went by the research and develop weaponry and commanded to stop all weapon ensemble.

His next step would be to call in the council. Nakia and Ayo had been walking by his side all along he’s being barking orders left and right.

Ayo tell the council the King will meet them in an hour in the Throne room and please make sure the place is apt for receiving people. 

He let Ayo go do as he told her to and turned to Nakia who looked far more peaceful than him. They were walking to his old room. The sweat and the blood had dried in his clothes and his hands. He looked down to them and felt an uncontrollable need to wash clean. 

“I want a hot shower. He said out loud. How much do you think it will take for the people to know of my return?”

“A few minutes, maybe an hour? T’Challa, your orders in the communication bay…?” She was a little alarmed by that and he couldn’t blame her. 

“Don’t worry, those are temporary a couple of days, a week at most.” He explained. 

“What do you plan to do with the council? According to Ayo, some of them showed themselves reluctant to Killmonger others not so much.”

“Depuration. I don’t mind opposition, but I don’t want people in council to think is fine for Wakanda to become an authoritarian empire. It will take time, of course, I will have to figure out who was pretending and who wasn’t. I need who I can trust.”

A few minutes passed, he was alone in his room when he Kimojo beads vibrated. It was Okoye telling him she had landed with his mother.

He took a deep breath. Meeting his mother was something he was looking for, but at the same time, he felt like a shy little kid. It was confusing for him. For so many months he saw the old lady who helped rescue him from the water as a mother figure and now he was meeting his mother since he fought N’Jadaka for the first time. 

He met his mother in her room. Ramonda was expecting him with open arms. She embraced him into a hug. The first he noticed was her smell. Warmth and chamomile. 

“Mother.” 

“Son. My son.” Ramonda softly said. “I missed you so much.”

“And I you, Mother.”

When she finally let go of him. He got to size her. She hasn’t changed much, other than her hair grew longer. She still was the active, strong woman with a radiant smile for those who earn it. She was wearing a long dress and her hair wasn’t covered by the headwear she usually wore. 

“Mother I’m going to need your help more than ever. “

“Whatever you need son.” She smiled at like so many times before. 

“Wakanda’s council will be in turmoil in the days to come and I will need your wisdom and guidance to separate the rotten ones. A meeting will be held in a few minutes and I need your presence there.”

Ramonda nodded yes with a smile, hold his face and hugged him again. 

An hour passed, and he entered the Throne Room sided by her mother and Okoye. He had intentionally made them wait for him. Allowing panic and fear to work on their nerves. It still baffled him to no end how it was possible for the council, men and women whose advise he had south after in the past were so easily wooed by N’Jadaka. It was difficult for him to process the fact his best friend, the man he grew up with would side with him at the blink of an eye.

T’Challa could understand the pain and grief of losing a parent, and he was tempted when his father died, to go blind with rage and pain. He thanked Bast for a cool head when it was needed. But then again, he didn’t lose his father when he was a child. He could understand W’Kabi’s gratitude and perhaps sympathy towards N’Jadaka, but not his betrayal, furthermore, siding with his ideology of conquering the world. W’Kabi never seemed to be hungry for power. But then again, he wasn’t expecting him to be this traitorous. 

This train of thought had left T’Challa with the unsavory idea that he never really knew his friend. How could he trust people he doesn’t know? 

He wished for Shuri to be here with him. She had refused when he asked her. 

He sat in the Throne, he wore a black suit and a purple scarf that went from his left shoulder to his right side and above everything, The Wakanda Crown. He wanted to make clear who was in charge now. His mother and Okoye both sat at his side. He eyed each member of the council one by one before he spoke.

“As you know I have called for martial law in the country.” The council erupted in opposition. Some demanded it ceasing while other remained silent. 

T’Challa watched them for a moment. Pleading and screaming at him.

“Silence.” He said elevating his voice above the commotion. “This will last only for a few days. Within those days, I will determine who will remain in this council and who will not. It doesn’t escape my knowledge that during my absence some of you sided with my cousin’s quest to wage a war against the world. I understand he was King, and his station demanded obedience, but some of you were actually thinking on profiting from this. That I will not tolerate. Inflicting death upon other people, innocent people, to gain power. I suggest you to think long and hard about your behavior. By the time the martial law is lifted some of you will be gone and will replace by another member of your tribe.

“For the moment don’t try to flee the country nor talk to each other, you all will be called for interrogation within a few days.” 

The room erupted again, but this time all them were shouting, furiously at him. 

T’Challa stood and the Room went quiet. “You are dismissed.” 

It was a bitter moment that he would have to go through but it was necessary.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is chapter 16, I hope you like it. Once again thank you for all the Kudos and the comments I appreciate them a lot. Wishing you all a good 2019.

One, two, three, four. How many was it? he lost count. His mind was focused. Marcus was coming towards him and he needed to pass the ball or make the shot. As always, he got cocky and instead of passing the ball he went for the shot. Marcus was faster than him, he touched the ball in the last second diverting the trajectory of it outside the hoop and not inside it. 

Ralfie had the ball now. Erik used his speed and basically caught the ball midair while it dribbled. Yeah! Adrenaline shooting all over his body. He was going to score a point. But lights in the sky caught his attention and he stood looking up like an idiot. He heard the voices of the other kids arguing with him. They looked up and went mute as he did. He heard the ball bounce away. The next second, he was running to his apartment. 

The elevator, like everything else around him, was broken. For some reason, his father insisted on living on the top floor. When he reached the third floor, he cursed the fucking place, and the elevator. That didn’t stop him from keeping his rapid pace. In the last floor, he stopped to ease his breathing he wanted to make a good impression. His father had told him many times how unbecoming was to appear out of air in front of people. He walked to the door of his apartment, twisted the pommel, pushing the door. 

_What was her name?_

He was coming to Mrs. Simpson house from another party some guys from school and the neighborhood had thrown. He wasn’t drunk. He drank one, two, three beers with the guys and nothing more, plus. He ate plenty of food. He was tall for his age and gained some muscle over the years it took more than three beers to get him drunk. It’s been three months since the last time Mrs. Simpson got him out of Juvy and he had promised to her and himself it was the last time. So, he stopped staying up late at parties, applied himself to school and for the most part, he was doing well. 

As a sign of trust, the old lady had given him the keys to the house. He opened the front door trying not to make any noise. He didn’t want to wake her up in case she was sleeping. She wasn’t, she was having a very vivid conversation with their noisy and nosy neighbor. Which made him wonder about the time. Erik looked down at his watch. It was nine fifteen. He groaned out loud. And the vivid conversation took a halt. 

“Erik is that you?”

“Yes, Mrs. Simpson.” 

“Boy, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Sophie.” She faked being offended. 

“Many times, Mrs. Simpsons.” 

“Son, are you hungry?” She always nagging him about food.

“Actually, Mrs. Simpson if I eat more, I might blow up.”

“All right son. Good night.”

“Night.” He replied. 

After a life of being a minor delinquent, he had become a low-key nerd. He entered his room and laughed to himself. His room was filled with books. Some he borrowed, some he stole, some he bought. He had a TV. It only served as a stand for more books. If he wanted to hear the news all he needed was step outside and hear the gossip of the neighborhood ladies. Talking about, who got busted or killed by the police, who was doing drugs and what not in whose house.

He had a history book opened on the middle of the bed. it was his favorite subject. That information was only known by the history teacher. They usually met in the library and had small debates about history. This translated into good grades without the need of showing it off in class. Half of the students in the school thought he pass with good grades because he had threatened the school teacher and the Principal. He had a similar arrangement with the math teacher. Since the school didn’t have money for an advanced math class, the teacher and he exchange all kind of mathematical problems. He even corrected the man once or twice. 

He heard the phone rang. He paid it no mind. He kept on reading. His favorite history books were those that told events from other perspectives than the mainstream. Especially those that were used in schools. 

A knock on his door got him back to reality. 

“Son, may I come in?”

“Sure Mrs. Simpson.” Odd she didn’t correct him this time. The old lady took her time to open the door. 

“I just received a call from the prison state in California. It’s about your Mom.” 

Erik did not know how to react. Something happened to his Mother otherwise they wouldn’t be calling him. He began to recall their last conversation when he went to visit her. He turned sixteen and he was old enough to decide if he wanted to have contact with his Mother. He told the Social Services lady, he wanted to visit his Mon from time to time. The road was long, he had to take three buses and the tickets were expensive. It was his third time the last time he visited her. She looked so much better than the first time he went to see her. He believed because that time he told her he was going to visit her, she had put on an effort. The first time was a surprise. 

He father had explained to him when he was younger why his mother was in prison. Your Mother did something some folks didn’t like.

He asked her. It turned she was found with half an ounce of cocaine with her. She got a ten years sentence. 

Mrs. Simpson brought the telephone with her. 

_What was her name?_

The sun was high in the sky, the air was dry, he was covered from head to toes, sweating like a pig beneath his uniform, his stomach rumbled with hunger. But his unit needed to complete this mission. He hated this country. When it was day time it was hot as fuck and in the night time the temperature dropped too low. 

He had joined the green berets many years ago, this was the type of mission he was expecting. For the rest of the men under his command, this was what they trained to do, for him, it was just training. His real goal, thousands of miles south this hell hole. And more importantly, when that day comes, he will be alone. He wouldn’t have one, two units of men helping him.

His mission today was fairly simple, but it didn’t mean the danger was out of the picture. Take by surprise a Cell of insurgents, part of the citizen of the city, if not every single one of them was helping cover up. He and his men were supposed to extract and several members of the Cell and round them up for interrogation. He, as always was not informed what kind of information he needed. That job was for the intelligence members of his team. He’d been there, he knew the rules, the fewer people know about shit the least it leaks. 

Of course, he had other things in mind. He had picked up on the rumor of an arms dealers working with the insurgents. Apparently, the man knew about certain rich mineral from Wakanda. He knew for a fact he didn’t have the technology or the amounts of Vibranium to be selling Vibranium weapons, but he was curious and if the rumors were right. This could be the same guy whom his father worked with years ago. He could be helpful. 

They left the jeeps in the outskirts of the small town. They went in by foot. A man with an old A K 47 was asleep, sitting in one of the entrances of the town. It was easy for one of his men to put him to real sleep. 

According to the information he got from intelligence, the Cell was staying in an improvised basement of one of the houses. A family of five lived there. Two daughters, one son, the mother and the father.

One of his men unscrewed the door out from the frame, breaking into the small house. Silencing the family was first. Next was finding the entrance to the basement. 

After searching all over the tiny hose, they found it. The trapdoor was beneath a table in the kitchen. He opened it and threw a gas bomb inside it. It won’t kill them, it will confuse them, giving him the chance to avoid a bigger fight with the rest of town. 

He took one of the men out the basement, dragging him to the children bedroom. He broke one of his fingers. He knew this type of interrogation was, in fact, useless, but he didn’t have the time to get all psychological on the guy. The information he sought was sort unrelated to the main issue, so he gave it a go. 

“Now little man.” He spoke on his native language. “Where do I find the man who sells you the weapons?”

_What was her name?_

It was the second month of his third semester on MIT and already the teachers were hammering on everyone with pop quiz and tons of homework and papers. He, of course, didn’t have an issue with that, he liked it, plus he was a fast learner and smart. Here he discovered how smart he was.

He had to admit to himself that he liked MIT a lot, from time to time he had a deal with the occasional ignorance of some of the students and sometimes teachers. It will take for him to open his mouth to put them on their righteous places. 

His stomach rumbled reminding him he was hungry, he put aside the book he was reading and walked to the cafeteria. His bedroom dorm wasn’t so different from his room on Mrs. Simpson’s house, sans the TV. He had managed to scare anybody trying to live with him. It didn’t mean he lacked connections around the campus.

Over the time he had collected a handful of acquittances. They would sit at the far end of the place next to the windows that faced the gardens.

He went by the services lines to get the food. It was Wednesday so it was pizza day, it was decent. Most of the food was, but they tended to put on an effort with some dishes. 

He sat in his chair. The people sitting at the table paid him no mind. Normally he always paid attention to what others speak around him, but after a few words, he realized it was the same old conversations. Subjects, parties and what not. He dug into his pizza. Their conversations went on until he was having his third slice of pizza. 

“Look, here he comes.” One of the guys said out loud. Making everybody at the table turn their head to the small boy on the food line. The silence made him follow the lines of their eyes.

He hasn’t seen him before. The boy couldn’t be more than thirteen. He heard he was from South Korea. An exchange student. 

“Soon there will be no room for us. They’re getting younger and younger every year.” Sarah said, one of the girls sitting at the table. She was tall and slender with curly dyed blond hair. They had fucked once, it was great, but she was smart enough not to go for seconds.

“He is not the younger I’ve seen.” Henry pointed out. He was one of the oldest in the group. Henry was doing a master’s degree and had been in MIT for a long time now.

“That’s right. I remember the small girl from two years ago.” Olivia said enthusiastically. She was even older than Henry and she was researching for a Doctorate. “She was so cute. She was one skinny little thing. She was always very polite and smart as hell. She used to correct the teachers once in a while.” Olivia continued.

“She was haughty thought. Carrying herself like she was royalty. When she was actually from a poor country in Africa. The lady who picked her up was hot as fuck if you were into bald ladies.” Henry joked.

“She only lasted a semester. I think the pressure won over her. She was really young. I heard she was ten, but she looked younger. What was her name? I can’t remember her name. It was some with S. Sora, Suria.” Olivia tried to guess looking pensive as ever.

Erik put his pizza down. “Shuri. Her name was Shuri.”

Henry looked at him with crazy eyes. “How can you possibly know her name? you weren’t even here back then.”

“I don’t know, Erik said. I just know her name was Shuri.” 

“You’re crazy Stevens,” Henry exclaimed. 

“This pizza tastes strange.” He said with distaste in his mouth.

“What does it taste like?” Olivia asked him.

“Like iron, it tastes like iron.” 

Olivia turned to look at him right in the eyes. “No N’Jadaka, it tastes like Vibranium.”

“What did you say?” He stood, sending his trail to the floor oddly no one at the table acted shocked.

“N’Jadaka.” She smiled.

He grabbed by the collar of her jacket. No one at the table said a thing, neither their faces showed a hint of fright. “Repeat that and your dead.” He warned her. She didn’t look afraid one bit. She was laughing. 

“No. Stevens, you’re the one who’s dead. Is that what you wanted?” 

“What?”

“That way you won’t have to care anymore”

“What are you talking about?” He was furious now. Showing her his canines.

“What was her name again?” Olivia asked laughing at him.

Shuri. 

 

By orders of the King, N’Jadaka was moved to a secure room. He was also handcuffed to the bed with Vibranium shackles. It’s been three days since T’Challa had punched his lung, resulting in a series of complications. His heart almost failed and he was not getting enough oxygen on his brain. The doctors stabilized as fast as possible and continued with a surgery. It went well, but he’s been sleeping for a day and a half. At first, she had had access to his medical chart, but it came to an end after her mother had spoken with T’Challa, forbidding for seeing N'Jadaka altogether. 

No one, but the doctors were allowed to see him. A guard stood in his door. That extra security was for her. Even though she and T’Challa haven’t spoken much, her bother was smart enough to know something was going on. 

The last two days had been tumultuous at best wretched at worst. She was happy her brother was back, she was. By Bast how she wished the circumstances were different. She wished so many things. But life didn’t come with a re-do button. 

Somehow every conversation ended up with the three of the arguing about everything. Even the things that didn’t involve the man in the state of coma. 

Nakia always standing by T’Challa’s side, was the only person she could be alone with. It was astonishing how the three of them went from being happy about being together again to her mother and her brother go suspicious of her behavior during their absence. 

T’Challa, Nakia, her Mom and she were sitting at the dining table. T’Challa was seated at the head of the table. His eyes moved from Nakia, her mother and ultimately landed on her. She wasn’t facing him; she was far too into pretending to be focusing on her meals to turn her face to him. Guessing she will never be ready for the inevitable conversation (confrontation?) brewing in the air. She would rather be eating alone in her room. checking on N'Jadaka or at least in her mending something.

Hunger had abandoned her days ago. The rational part of her brain was insisting on her to eat the whole plate of food, keep her eyes straight and don’t make a noise of any kind. The emotional part wanted to break down and cry, removed the guard from N’Jadaka’s door and rest next to him. For the sake of delaying the inevitable, she remained silent and stoic. 

Still, she felt her brother's eyes bore a hole in the side of her face. She was nine again and her father was scolding her for something. That’s how she felt. 

Life was so funny, month ago she wished her brother back, and she still wants him back, but now she wanted N’Jadaka back. The man she wished to disappear from her life, was lying on a coma state on a bed and all she wanted was for him to wake up and hold her. 

She checked the time on her Kimojo beads and fastened her pace. 

“Are you in a hurry, Shuri?” Her brother asked. She watched Nakia tensed and put a hand on T’Challa arm. 

“This is not time,” Nakia said. 

“It’s been three days. I think it’s time for Shuri to speak.” He sounded passive enough, but one could hear anger and disappointment in his tone. 

“T’Challa I think you should discuss alone with Shuri.” Nakia intervened again. She looked at him and to her mother. 

Ramonda had remained quiet all this time. She had spoken to Shuri, but always about something entirely different. She guessed her mother had made up her mind since she went to see her weeks ago. 

“Fine.” He said calmer this time. “We will meet in an hour in my office.” He wasn’t asking. It was an order. 

All she could do was nodded. “May I retire?” Shuri asked. Her brother nodded back. 

She walked all the way to her room prying for a small miracle. What exactly? She didn’t know. Anything to get her out of this mess. Something to erase her. She laid down on her bed wanting to join N’Jadaka in his coma. How was she going to explain her brother everything? She wasn’t sure he would understand what happened. She closed her eyes hoping to sleep, but it wasn’t possible.

The hour passed and she was on her brother office waiting for him. She sat on the opposite chair. He was running late. She remembered a lesson their father had taught them. Make your enemy wait. It will confuse them and it’ll wreak their nerves. Was her brother making her wait on purpose? Did he consider her an enemy? A traitor to him? To Wakanda? If he did. She couldn’t blame her. She didn’t think what she did had any redemption little less justification. 

She heard the door slid followed by his heavy steps. He sat in his chair, looked straight at her. Begin. He demanded, not even an apology for making her wait. Her own brother didn’t trust her.

Where to begin? She asked herself.

“He is right.” She said after a long silence referring to N'Jadaka.

“How so?”

“Wakanda should have done more. We could do more. We should be out there helping people.” He tried to paint him in lighter tones. 

“N’Jadaka’s plan was not to help people.

“I know. He wanted to conquer to world. That it’s wrong, but it doesn’t make any less of a truth that we should help others with our resources.”

“All right, I’ll give you that. That doesn’t explain your behavior. It doesn’t explain your attachment to N’Jadaka.”

“It’s complicated.” That was true and it was getting more complicated by the minute.

“Complicated? He almost succeeded killing me. He killed Zuri, you saw him.”

“I know what I saw. Nevertheless, it’s complicated.” 

“You gave this man access to our weapons so he could go on with his plans.” Her brother accused her.

“I didn’t have a choice. I delayed him as long as possible. I was hoping to change his mind.” She argued. 

“How were you going to change his mind Shuri?” T’Challa asked, anger rising in his tone.

“I talked to him every time I could. I tried to make him understand his ways weren’t the right ones…”

“But you didn’t and at the end, you still hand him control over the weapons.” T'Challa interrupted her words. 

“As I told you. It wasn’t my choice and it was my idea to shut down the lab in the first place. Getting caught by two of his war dogs wasn’t part of my plan. I had intel about a possible coup against him. Months later I found out it was all a trick to lure me in. I thought it was possible to take back Wakanda.” 

“You’re still half explaining things.” It was clear that her brother was on to something. 

“We began to talk, he told me about him. I understood him. He, N’Jadaka is far more complex than the bad guy who wants to conquer the world.”

“Shuri, what I still don’t understand is what power did you have on him that you thought you change his mind?” T'Challa asked her, this time his face was more curious than concern. 

There is the question. She fidgeted with her fingers. “N’Jadaka and I…” she began. _N’Jadaka and you what, Shuri? What are you? What is your relation to him? How does he see you?_ “I care about him.”

T’Challa who was leaning forward listening to her leaned back against his chair. Confusion invaded his features, his eyes opened wide, his nose flared. “Shuri, what happened between the two of you?” he tried miserably to sound calm. 

It was her time to lean back in her chair, not really knowing how to feel or think.

She gulped and looked at her brother in the eyes. “N’Jadaka and I became close.”

“Sister, my sister, are you telling me you made friends with the man who tried to kill me and to your knowledge I was dead.” He looked so heartbroken, it pained her to no end. She watched his brother's face twist with a mix of confusion, hurt and anger. She had disappointed everyone in her life with one single decision. “Shuri did he do something to you?” He asked her, anger taking the best of him.

Her eyes became round like plates searching for an answer to that question, while at the same time worrying about her brother could do to N'Jadaka. Her brother wasn’t an idiot, he was fishing for something to confirm his suspicions.

She thought of telling the truth and let hell rain down her. But once again the question nagging her in the back of the head for the last months and a few moments ago resurged. _What were N'Jadaka and her_

As she stayed silence her brother anger increased. Seeing like this conversation will drag on forever Shuri made a decision. 

“He didn’t do anything to me. Everything that happened was a decision made by the two of us.” Shuri stood from her chair and reach for the door. Right before she crossed the frame, she turned. 

“Whatever you are planning to do with him when he wakes up, be fair.” 

She left her brother hoping for all this drama to be resolved. Although she thought it will take time for it to happen. She had told the truth. She wanted to be clean of all the guilt she was feeling. Right now, she had other things to care about. She wanted to know how he was doing and if she could do something to help.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. 
> 
> I hope you like this chapter. I hope I did well, you tell me. 
> 
> Thank you for reading.

Nakia saw the young woman exited T’Challa’s office with a sour expression. Although lately, that was her permanent state. She fastened her pace as she went in the opposite direction. Nakia had a suspicion of what might have happened between Shuri and Killmonger during his absence. She didn’t want to talk about it with T’Challa or think much of it. 

As she stood in front of the office she hesitated, thinking if it was a good idea to see him now. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for what she might encounter behind it, she slid the door open. 

She found him sitting, leaning forward the table. Both his fists closed in an iron grip crushing down the rich mahogany desk. The veins from his hand stood out, overworked by the sheer force of the clear anger he was feeling. She couldn’t see his face completely since he was facing down. From the angle, she was getting it looked like his face was paralyzed in a deep angered frown. 

She heard the wooden desk cracked. His body rose and fell at the pace of his hard breathing. T’Challa was furious. What could possibly Shuri say to him to put him in this state? The last time she saw him this mad was when King T’Chaka was murdered. 

“T’Challa?” She whispered. Failing to get him out of this raging trance he was in. 

“T’Challa?” She said louder this time, but he seemed too far gone. 

The table cracked under, the items on the desk slid down where the crushing power of his fists was making to sinking holes.

“T’Challa,” Nakia screamed now, catching his attention. He stopped immediately and lifted his face to look at her. His shoulders slacked down, he wore a tired expression. He never looked so defeated. 

“What happened? What did you and Shuri talk about?” She asked without thinking if he wanted to talk about it. He wasn’t the kind of man who would brood by himself, normally he was the one to begin these kinds of conversations, she just listened to it. 

He slacked back on his seat looking sideways to the emptiness and took a deep breath. “This is all my fault.”

“What is your fault?”

“This. Everything. This whole mess. I should have handled things better, I should have stayed focus all the time. I underestimated him. His rage and the power he gained with it.” 

“What are you talking about?”

“Shuri had developed a feeling for N’Jadaka.” 

“You mean, she sympathizes with his cause.” She injected, confused. 

“No, I mean she is in love with him, or so she thinks. She says she tried to convince him not to go with his plans several times.” 

This is different from what she thought happened. 

“This is all my fault.” He kept saying. 

“Oh, T’Challa, is not your fault, how could you know this was going to happen? You fought him well.

“Not well enough.” 

This was him. He always did this. When T’Chaka died he sulked thinking it was his fault he was not able to save his father. His revenge went from delivering justice to self-punishment. He found himself in the middle of a war that wasn’t completely his, fighting alongside and against people who could actually kill him. Only to find out he was after the wrong person all alone. Luckily the sweet boy she met when she was young wasn’t so lost. 

“There’s no way you could have predicted this. How this whole thing was going to unfold. What you can do is figure how to work this out.”

“I am so tired Nakia, there’s too much thing to do. I have to purge the Royal Council. I have the country on Martial Law. I almost killed my cousin and now I found out he not only messed with my country but also my sister.”

Nakia offered him a sad smile. She hated to see him like this. But a few years ago, T’Challa world has been subject to change, ever since he took on the Black Panther mantel. “I think you should take this one thing at the time.”

He turned to look at her. “I know.”

“Come on, we should get out of here and call for somebody to replace your desk.” She said calmly. 

It seemed like Erik Stevens arrival not only shifted Wakanda, but the whole Royal family and its foundation. 

Ever since T’Challa told Nakia T’Chaka actions towards his own brother, she reaffirmed the idea that Wakanda was long past due to share its knowledge with the world. So much damage could have been avoided if selfishness and dismissiveness didn’t play mayor roll in Wakanda’s rulership. 

She walked by his side many times before, remembering why was she going to his office in the first place. 

“This is not the best moment to deal with this, but it is almost the end of the martial law. You need to make up your mind about your findings of the Royal Council.” If T’Challa was thinking about something else he will deal with all these emotions more later. “They are waiting for you.”

If T’Challa was good at something it was prioritizing. He flexed his hands and stood straighter than before. 

They walked to the Throne Room. The Dora was already standing in their positions. She took a spot in the sidelines. It brought her to shame that her uncle, the chief of her tribe actually sided with Killmonger’s idea of conquering the world. She had always heard her uncle talked about Wakanda should do more for the world. She herself thinks so, but not in the way Killmonger wanted. 

Another of the council members seduced into his ideology was the was W’Kabi. She was surprised by how fast he went from T’Challa’s best friend to willingly try to kill him. This was one of the other shifts T’Challa had to deal with. Nakia sighed in heartbreak for him. 

She caught Okoye’s gaze on her. The General was trying to keep a stoic face. Of course, the General was sad, heartbroken even. She hasn’t thought of that lately. Okoye had to deal with her husband’s actions and her actions trying to stop him. What a horrible position to be in. By Bast, she internally claimed, wondering how far the repercussions went. It looked like no one was left untouched.

She kept searching the room and saw Queen Ramonda standing next to the Throne was T’Challa was to take a seat. She looked proud and regal. She looked untouched, but Nakia knew it was not the case. As she suspected Shuri was nowhere to be seen. 

They sat at each side of the room. Other members of the council were also there, expectant to what the King had to say. 

T’Challa sat straight. “It has come to my attention that during my absence some of you decided to side with N’Jadaka, it’s understandable, he was the King. But it’s not because you side with the King is why you are here, but that you side with his ideology. He wanted to subjugate the world under his rule, waging a war against innocents. You were willing to get your hands bloody or get somebody else hands bloody for you. But what did you get from that is what I asked? I know some you saw this as an opportunity to get revenge for wrongs done to you.” T’Challa looked at W’Kabi. “Wrongs that neither I nor my father was able to right on time. Perhaps it started with that thought, but if you were willing to have the lives of thousands of others who had nothing to do with Wakanda’s affairs, it clearly shifted into something else. Other saw this as a mean to gain more power. Either way, I do not wish to deal or work with those people in my court so, for now on the people I’m about to name will be removed from the council. Within time their seat will be filled with other representatives of their Tribes.”

All the member of the council saw each other on the faces, they knew whom the King was speaking about. 

“Kojo, Chief elder of the River Tribe, W’Kabi Captain on the Border Tribe. You two are no longer welcome to join me in the council. I will strip you from your stations. You will be also be arrested if you are caught in the inside of the Palace without a proper announce and my permission.” He told Kojo. “The investigation also showed other people working with you, whom will also be discharged from their previous positions.”

T’Challa turned to look at the other man.” As for you W’Kabi, you are arrested under the charges of attempting to commit Regicide. You will wait for a trial. It saddens me it had to come to this. I thought of you as my friend.”

The room reminded silence, there not commotion, no one dared to interject for either of them. 

W’Kabi and Kojo were escorted out of the room by four Doras. Okoye had to stand there watching how her husband was being carried out like a common criminal. 

“As for the rest of you rest assured if any of you follow this type of behavior will suffer the same fate. I don’t mind being opposed to, but to abdicating for unprovoked war and imperialism will not be standing in this council.”

They nodded in agreement. 

“You may retire now,” T’Challa commanded, sounding as kingly as possible.

As the rest of the council left the room Nakia asked herself how the arrival of Erik Stevens had affected her life. For long weeks she thought T’Challa was dead, so she embarked on a quest for his body. When she thought all hope was lost, she found something to hold on to. So, she looked for an alive man, and she found him. Those months looking for him had to change the way thing were for them, at least in her part. While their relationship ended amicably and they remained close friends, she couldn’t even begin to think in a world where T’Challa doesn’t exist. Finding him safe and whole at the shore of the river that day re-awoke the love she had for him. She had always loved him, but she didn’t quite understand to what length until she though him lost forever. 

Perhaps this new understanding of how deep she loved T’Challa was the only positive thing Killmonger arrival would bring. 

Her thought shifted to Shuri. She was curious as to what had led her to be where she was now. Nakia was sure that a lot went down. She could even understand why would she sympathized with Erik. If what T’Challa had told her was true, and it appeared so, his story was horrible. Erik was a man deserving of pity. What T’Chaka did was horrible. But how one does fall in love or thinks to be in love with the man who killed your brother?

Nakia best guess was that Shuri went through a huge trauma on top of losing her brother. 

_________________________

The guard posted at the door of the room was a tall lean man. She doubted if given the situation she would succeed at taking him down physically. The fact that her brother had exchanged a Dora for a mere guard meant that N’Jadaka no longer posed a big threat. The fact that he still had a guard meant he was alive. 

From her lab, she has been monitoring the movements of the people going in and out that room. She knew exactly what hours a doctor and nurse would go and paid him a visit. She knew his sheets were changed every two days and he also got a bath. The doctor would check on him every morning right before breakfast and that every eight hours another nurse went in to replace the fluids. But important every eight hours the guards were replaced. 

She walked down the hall with al confidence of her station and placed her hand in the panel that opened the door. Early that day she had hacked the system in to have access to this particular room. The only fingerprints allowed at the moment were the hand full of medical staff and her brother.

The guard immediately stood between her and the door panel. 

“My most sincere apologies princes, but the king was strict when he said only him and medical staff, he approved of…” He began.

“I know what my brother said, you don’t have to remind me.” She interrupted him. “My brother also instructed me into developing something to help the man inside that room. After doing the proper testing I have brought it. My brother wants him alive for a reason. I have something that can help him.” She pointed at the small metallic briefcase she was carrying. Her tone was firm and authoritative. “Do you want to be the one foolish enough to go against my brother wishes? Especially since he has been purging people.” She narrowed her eyes at him warningly. The lie and the threat came out with ease off her lips. _Look at that Shuri you can also add being a liar and threatening people for doing theirs as all the reason you could go to hell._

He stared at her in silence waging his options. He was half skeptic and half scared. She didn’t have time for him to make up his mind. She placed her hand in the panel and slid open. 

“See.” She looked at the man. “I have authorization.” 

She kept her haughty face until the close slid closed behind her. N’Jadaka rested in the bed. He looked so peaceful. She heard the low beat of the monitor registering his heart. His upper body was propped up. He wore a light blue silken dashiki shirt and pants. She took the pad with the medical history. He was stable, his condition had changed for the better. The brain scans haven’t shown any physical damage. His lung had been repaired. He had about three days in breathing on his own. The doctor was smart enough to monitor his sleep patterns. N’Jadaka had been dreaming a lot lately, proving that he wasn’t brain dead. 

“Then why haven’t you woken up yet?” She said out loud. Her answer was the continuous beeping of his heart. The silence between every beep felt deafening. It’s been days, people with worse injuries haven’t taken this long to wake up. He had drunk the Heart-shaped juice, he was supposed to be up and running the next day.

“Selfish bastard.” Whispered between two beeps. “Look what you are doing to me. I have to deal with all the mess all by myself. I shouldn’t have to. You were in this mess too. Mather of fact, this is all your fault. You kissed me first. Now I have to stand the looks from my mother and brother and I don’t they fully get the whole picture of what happened between you and I. Well my brother does now. I think.” She sighed. “I’m rambling. The point is you left me alone.” She smacked his shoulder. “Knowing you I bet this isn’t the first time you do this, right? I bet you tend you leave women right when you think they are in a semi-stable relationship with you. Yes. I can see weaseling your way out of the relationship as soon as you let her spend the night or your first fight. You are the type. I’ve seen a lot of movies.” She was standing at the foot of the bed frowning in anger at the laying figure in front of her.

“But then again, what are we? I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately. I can’t answer it alone.” She wanted to slap him again.

“Wake up, please. N’Jadaka if you there please wake up. For me please.” 

A beep went, N’Jadaka didn’t flinch. His chest rose and fell and another beep went by. 

Her eyes began to sting, tears threatening to burst out. When she realized her pleading wasn’t heard. She took the item of the small briefcase she brought in. 

Three books, one of them she was sure N’Jadaka hasn’t finished reading and another two she thought he might like to read next. She placed them in the small table next to his bed. She looked at him one more time, leaning down to watch his face closer. 

“Please wake up.” She whispered and kissed him in the forehead. 

Shuri heard the door open, she turned to see Nakia standing on the other side of it watching her intently. 

“Did my brother send you?” She asked the older woman.

“I volunteered, actually.”

“Either way it’s clear he doesn’t want to see me.” 

“I wouldn’t be so hard on T’Challa.”

“So, he told you, and I guess you hate me too.” 

“T’Challa doesn’t hate you and neither do I. He is confused and much and I am. He has a lot of things to deal with right now, I thought I might help him a little on this one.”

“Oh. So, you are his emissary.”

“You sound like I’ve come to arrest you.”

“What are you going to do then?”

“I’m here to talk to you.”

“You are here to get me out of this room.”

“That too.” 

“Why doesn’t he let me see him? He is in a coma, he doesn’t represent any danger anymore.” Shuri choke as tears ran down her face, the last person she wanted to cry in front of right now was Nakia.

“As true as that might be, you have ordered from the King. You’re not allowed here, Shuri.”

She softly nodded. 

“Do you think he’ll wake up?” Shuri wanted to hear it from someone else. She wanted to hear that N’Jadaka was going to wake up.

“I… I don’t know him that well, but I think he is strong-willed.” 

That’s probably the best Nakia thing could say about N’Jadaka.

“Shuri… Nakia said holding out her hand to her. We must leave.”

She didn’t have an option. She didn’t take Nakia hands but she left the room nonetheless. The guard that was there when she arrived was replaced when it wasn’t his time.

Nakia and she walked to Shuri’s room in silence. 

“Shuri if there anything you would like to talk about, anything, you can tell me.”

“So, can tell my brother? No thank you.” 

“I don’t mean it like that. I mean like your friend. T’Challa doesn’t have to know, but you are aware that if I think that what you tell might put you or any other person in danger, I will tell your brother. Right?”

“Right.” She responded sharply. Shuri looked at the woman again. “I would like to be alone now.” She didn’t know if she'd ever talk to Nakia about it, but she was sure now wasn’t the time.

Shuri stepped inside her room and wept. She cried as hard as she did when her father died when she thought T’Challa was dead. She crawled to her bed and cried some more until sleep took over her.

 

It was one of those early silence morning breakfast Shuri felt forced to endure. Even though appetite has escaped from her, for the lasts days she had willed herself to eat. Just as her anxiousness manifested in overeating, sadness manifested in the lack of hunger. As she heard the sounds of the cutlery being used by the people in the table, she remained herself that not only she had to eat, but also had to face her family that’s why she always showed up at meals times even though most of the time they ate in silence. As if per instinct she didn’t want to lose her family or what was left of it. 

Lately, it was common for Nakia to be at the table with at least one of the meals. it looked like she and her brother had gotten back together. 

“Have you thought of whom is going to be in the council now that two members are gone?” Nakia asked T’Challa. Nakia was good she always found the best way to break the heavy silence.

“I was thinking I should meet with the people of each tribe and asked for a reference, that way I can make sure they will be well represented.” 

“That sounds like a good idea. What about W’Kabi trial?”

“His trial will be as soon as we get the council done.” 

“Good. Later I can show you the finding in the communication systems about the people Erik was communicating in America. Most of them are forgotten War Dogs.” 

“Yes, I will do that as soon as things get sorted here…”

Her brother train of words was interrupted by Ayo, who walked in the room and whispered something in T’Challa ear. 

That was weird. Why didn’t she call him on the beads? What was so important that she had come all the way here to whispered it in his ears. T’Challa stopped eating and looked at her in the eyes. 

“Thank you, Ayo. I’ll see to it later.” T’Challa dismissed his head of security. 

He continued to eat as if nothing happened. She stopped eating. It hit her.

“He’s awake, isn’t he?” T’Challa stayed silence and looked at her. That was all the answer she needed. She stood from the chair dropping her spoon. 

“Shuri Odaku where do you think you are going?” Her mother asked raising her voice as she stood from the table. 

“I’m going to see him.” No hesitation in her words.

“No, you are not.”

“Yes, I am.” She tightened her fits at her sides.

“That man tried to kill your brother, T’Challa is already showing too much compassion by keeping him alive, he doesn’t need or deserves you doting on him too.”

“I let your action went by the other day. I don’t think I’ll repeat myself this time Shuri, this situation doesn’t need to worsen. You are disobeying my orders, sister.” Her brother interfered her argument with her mother. He sounded disappointed.

Which situation T’Challa? Exactly which situation? Shuri rose her voice to her brother like she’s never done before. “Me, caring about him? You, trying to control the kingdom? Covering up for Father’s misjudgments? Hiding the fact that knew who was him when he walked in? He told me what you whispered to him. You called a peasant even though you knew who he was.” It was Shuri’s time to throw an accusation. 

“In your brother defense, he only found out a few days before when we were in South Korea, as he helped Klaw to escape, almost killing us all may I add.” Nakia interrupted her.

“I know. But what were you planning to do with information T’Challa? Did you think you to reach out to him or were you planning to keep up with the secrecy and the lies? Like father did.” Anger rising in her tone. 

“You shouldn’t throw judgment to your brother, he has a lot to deal with, all this is affecting him. Us. It’s affecting us. We need to stay together. We are a family.” Ramonda pleaded and a hint of anger.

“You have to deal with this now. I did it for months and still do it. He was my father too, I had to take him off the pedestal first than you. I felt guilty for was neglected to him. I also was confused and I had to do all that alone. None of you were there you don’t what I went through. And when you talk about family you should include him too.” She looked at her mother and she walked out of the room.

“Tell the guards to let me in.” She ordered her brother and went her way to see N’Jadaka.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I'm just passing by to drop this here. I hope you have a beautiful day. I know it's been a while since I posted something, but I had a little of writer's block. I didn't know where I wanted the characters to go. That's resolved, for now. So, enjoy.

Iron. Yes. Iron mixed with something else. Something he hasn’t ever tasted before. His throat burned. It hurt. Something was obstructing his mouth. There a feeding tube down his throat. Dizziness ended minutes ago. But the ceiling still shifted from time to time. Dryness in his mouth like he never felt it before, not even when was in the desert. The white light hurt his eyes, even when closed. 

He could only move one of his arms. The other one handcuffed to the bed handle. He didn’t feel strong enough to break it. The steady beep that rung through the room started to increase its velocity and his head began to hurt. Everything hurt. In his frantic state, slowly but surely, he remembered the pieces of the answers he had minutes asking. He was alive in Wakanda, he had fought his cousin. The last thing he remembered was T’Challa face whispering some about his father. Before that, Erik. No. N’Jadaka was calling for Shuri and right after that, he closed his eyes for good, he was relieved. But now he was tied to the bed and the world spun around. 

A minute, two, three passed and two men a one woman entered the room. In his weak state, it took a third man to hold him down. The woman grabbed one of the plastic tubes hanging around him and injected something into it. Fifteen seconds later his vision blurred, and sleep took over him. 

The next time he woke hushed voices surrounded him. The tube on his throat is no longer there. He still was tied to the bed, it seemed like it passed some time from the first time he woke and the second time. The same people who put him sleep were there talking in medical terms about him. 

“He is awake.” He heard the soft voice of a woman. She moved around the bed, in front of the table next to his bed. She took something from behind the stack of books rest on it. She soaked a ball of cotton in water and wet his lips with it.

“I will have to hydrate your lips and mouth with this.” She explained in a heavy Wakanda accent. 

He looked at her nodded. The moment she wet his lips with the cotton a fire was put out in his mouth. He opened his mouth to thank her, but she interrupted him.

“I don’t recommend you speak now. It will burn. Wait until you mouth doesn’t feel like it’s on fire.” She warned him. He stopped for a moment to study her features. She looked much older than him and had long grey hair here and there, all wrap in a bum in her hair. Her eyes were brown and soft, and a strain of golden earing decorated her left ear. She wore a light purple uniform. 

“You were in a coma for almost two weeks.” She paused. “Thirteen days to be exact. After the surgery, we started to hydrate you. Your stomach might not be ready for solids for a day or two. But I think later today we could get you soup.” He nodded again. “I will explain what happened to you. the important thing is that you are awa…” She was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Let me go through.” She demanded. 

“I have orders…” one man said.

“The orders have changed.” He heard the other man say.

“Thank you.” Shuri said.

She walked into the room and stood at the end of the bed. The doctor that spoke to him turned to greet the princess with a soft smile. The princess returned the smile.

“I will be back in an hour. She said to him and looked at the princess. He cannot talk yet.” Shuri nodded in agreement. They were left alone in the room. He followed Shuri across the room. She is walking to panel in the wall, with a flick of her finger she dimmed the light making it more bearable.

“Doctors tend to forget bright light bothers your eyes when you spend a lot of time without using them.”

She grabbed the tablet with all his medical information, took a short look at it and put it back. 

“Nothing much changed since the last time I was here. I brought some books I thought you might like to read. I don’t know how long you will be in this room.”

He tried to sit up to have a better look at her. The bed shifted with him. He heard the Vibranium shackles clinked and he rattled it waiting for an answer.

“My brother thought you should be handcuffed to the bed in case you wake up angry, which you did. Had not been them you would had hurt the doctor and nurses.” She explained.

Fuck T’Challa he thought as he smiled. 

“Did the doctor tell how long you were in a coma?” Shuri asked.

He nodded. He spent thirteen days in limbo. A dark thought seeped in his mind. Why didn’t T’Challa just let him die? He was sure whatever his cousin was thinking to do with him, death was far better. 

“At some point, your brain didn’t receive enough oxygen. That’s why you were out for so long, but you had normal brain activity while you were asleep.” He heard the princess say. She was now standing next to his bed, right in front of him. Her face wore a frown mixed with worry and anger. 

“You were fine, you just decided not to wake up.” His eyes flickered wide open. Her tone was angry and accusatory. She was angry at him. 

“You, selfish bastard. You left alone to deal with all this.” She continued. None of this shit was his fault, yet she was angry at him for this. He was sure he wore a disbelieving look on his face by the next words that came out of her.

“Yes, it’s your fault. I have… I have developed feelings for you. My brother might have stabbed you, but we both know you are as stubborn as they get.” 

That’s it, woman, you are officially crazy. Wait did she just say…? How could she be? He was not a good person, not one bit.

He shook his head dismissing the rest of thoughts. He was going to speak to her as soon as he was able. 

Right now, he was more focused on his current state of aliveness and what it meant. He was so close to getting his way. He was ready to avenge. The world needed to pay and like everything else he truly cherished, it was taken away from him. Perhaps he should go back to sleep until death did its job. He looked down at the handcuff bounding him to the bed. Shackles. The last thing he wanted. 

“N’Jadaka, are you listening to me?” The sound of his name brought him back from his thought. He did not turn to look at her instead he focused his eyes on the wall in front of him. He didn’t want her in the room. the last thing he wanted was her scolding or talking to him. he lifted his hand and pointed to the door to leave.

“Oh. I see.” She said after a while, understanding he wanted her gone. Still, he didn’t acknowledge her. He got to watch her disappointment in his periphery view. 

“I’ll leave you then.” She finally understood and left the room. 

As soon as he saw the door slid closed behind her, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried, but right now was all he wanted to do. He had come to know raged as his constant companion, but not once in his life before he felt it like he did now. As if every tragedy in his life was all happening at the same time at once worse than the first time. As if he wasn’t the seasoned soldier accustomed to death around him by his hands or other people hands. As if disappointment wasn’t the law that ruled his life. 

He realized he was crying when he felt the salt in his mouth. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t afraid to cry. All his goals were gone to shit. If he was an amalgamation of all his action and shackles was the result of all his plans, what was the purpose of his life. He was in no better place than slaves. He wanted to die. 

 

The third time he woke up the smell of food invaded his senses. The plate is placed on the rolling tray. Vapor was floating up. his stomach rolled in hunger.

He used his free and to pull the tray to him. A bowl of soup. He wondered if he should eat it since he wanted all this to end. His stomach did another roll and he picked up the spoon and dug in. If he was going to die it should a swift death. His throat burned a little as he swallowed the soup. He supposed it was due to the analgesic he was given. 

He looked around trying to find a clock to tell him the time. Something to place him in time. But there was nothing in the room to help him for that and since he was shackled to the bed, he doubted he had the chance to look for it. He saw the stack of books sitting on the nightstand. He swept them off the table to the floor. What was the point of reading so much shit if he wasn’t going to use it? With the same anger, he pushed away from the rolling tray. What was left of the soup spread on the floor, dampening the books. Good. 

He was completely spaced out when T’Challa came inside the room. He followed him with his eyes. He had many questions, one especially burning his tongue. Why?

Nobody had come to retire the bowl of soup he was served, so the mess he caused was all over the floor. T’Challa picked the book carefully trying not to rip the pages and place them again on the rolling tray. He took the empty bowl and placed in on the tray as he pushed the panel on the left side of the door.

“Please send for someone to clean this room. Thank you.”

As he watched T’Challa straighten his suit, he guessed that was one of the subtle differences between him and his cousin. He demanded and gave an order, his cousin asked politely. 

A young man came into the room with a floor cleaning machine. As the boy worked on the floor, he and T’Challa looked at each other. When the boy finished, he took the empty bowl with him.

“I’m sure the doctor already told what happened to you. So, I’m not here to talk about that. I am not sure if we should be talking since you’re not fit to provide a comeback, perhaps you should keep resting.” He moved to leave the room.

“Why you keeping alive?” He managed to say in a raspy voice. It was loud enough for T’Challa to hear it. He stopped in his tracks. 

“You shouldn’t be speaking.” He advised.  
“Again. Why?”

“Selfish and moral reasons.”

“Fuck you.” 

“I do not want for our family to keep spilling our own blood. Injustices were committed years ago. It is my duty to clean up my father’s mess. Rectify our forefathers’ wrongs.” He looked like a man that was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. That pissed him furthermore.

“You bastard. I should have made sure you were dead before I threw you off that cliff.” He spat.

“Perhaps you should have… But now we are here, and it is what it is.” T’Challa claimed nonchalantly. 

“Now that I am your mercy, King. What will you make of me?”

His cousin leaned down. “Justice.” He said.

“I hope for prompt recovery. We have some debts to pay.”

\------------------------------------------

 

The ceiling of her room was navy blue, and right now was the only thing she could focus on. As she laid in the bed an invisible stone rest on her chest making breathing a heavy task. She desperately wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come out. She blinked as the weight on her chest spread across her body. Shuri tried to lift an arm but couldn’t.

Was she dreaming? She had felt this before. When she was younger, somedays she would remain in between. Not sleeping. Not fully awake. She had spoken to her mother and she had explained what sleep paralysis was. But she remembered how she got here. So, this wasn’t a dream. She wasn’t asleep. In fact, she didn’t remember closing her eyes to sleep. She came from the medical wing of the lab, straight to her room, hours ago. She laid on the bed and stared at the navy-blue ceiling of her room. 

She had lost the track of time when she felt something warmth was touching her skin. The light was giving her pitch-black ceiling back the navy from before. She frowned. As the light blinded her eyes, she turned her head to her window, somehow. The sun was raising. That was strange, it was night time minutes ago. She was sure because she was just back from seeing N’Jadaka. If it was the next day how come, she wasn’t hungry? She skipped dinner but promised herself to find something to eat later. One uncomfortable meal per day was more than enough. She could swear she had that intense lunch with her family just hours ago. 

It took her a while to realized she was no longer in paralysis state, she moved her head. She took a deep breath, but still felt like the most difficult thing ever. Perhaps she should go to the doctors to check on her lungs. 

She swallowed and it burnt a little. She was thirsty. Dragging her body to the bathroom, Shuri opened the faucet of the sink and drank water until she fell her belly full. Tapped her tablet and the panels of the windows went down. Leaving her room pitch black again. She liked it that way. Finally resting her head over a pillow, she slept. 

 

When she woke up the room was still pitch black. 

“Lights on.” She whispered loud enough for the system to hear her. Her bladder was about to blow. 

After she came out of the bathroom her stomach rumbled with hunger. She commanded the system to open the window panels. The sun was in the sky. Her eyes went back to the tablet in her hand. It was close to noon.

After debating whether to join her family for lunch or not she decided to go to the kitchen and grab something to eat. 

The Palace was early silence today. Even though the guards were at their post everything was silence. After her brother’s return, there was an ongoing fuss all over the place. 

She was carrying a plate with bread and cheese, and a glass of milk. How funny it was when you know a place like the back of hand you don’t to look where you are going.

“There you are. I passed by your room a few minutes ago. The guard told me you went out. Finally.” Nakia’s voice felt so far away. 

She looked up to see the woman’s face. “I went out to get something to eat.” She explained in a flat voice.

“Good, you’re eating. Your mother and brother were worried about you. You didn’t show for dinner last night, breakfast or lunch today. Your mother wanted to speak to you, but after what happened yesterday, I told her to leave you alone. Why don’t you have this with the rest of us?” Nakia suggested. 

“I still don’t want to see anyone right now.” Shuri cut her off.

“They are worried about you, Shuri.”

“They sent you. Didn’t they?” Suspicion crept Shuri’s mind. 

“Why do you keep saying that? Nobody sent me. I normally don’t listen to your brother. I just figure he has a lot to think about and do. Killmonger messed a lot of things up and it needs to be corrected, not only here but in foreign countries. It’s been hard to contact most of the war dogs…

“It’s N’Jadaka.” Shuri corrected her.

“What?”

“N’Jadaka, his name is N’Jadaka.”

Shuri didn’t realize she was crying until she felt the tears drop in her arm. 

“Shuri, are you alright?” Nakia asked with a worried voice.

She stood in silence as the tears ran down her face. Was she alright? She hurt, but she couldn’t identify the source of the pain. She was a bit hungry, but she was about to remedy that. Her mother and brother were back. There was no longer an impending war looming in the air. She didn’t feel as guilty as before for helping him with his war? She was back in the lab doing what she liked. Why wouldn’t she be alright? Everything was set to be alright, right?

“Not. I’m not.” 

She sobbed hard and loud. The tears she wished for so long finally burst out. Nakia took the plate and the glass from her before she dropped them.

“Come, let’s go to your room.” 

Nakia put the plates on the desk and sat with her in the bed. 

“Alright, Shuri, this is not you. I know you’ve been through a lot lately, but what’s happening right now? I am worried about you. I thought you would be happy Er… N’Jadaka is awake.”

“I am glad he’s awake.” She said between sobs. “He doesn’t want me around.” Shuri was tented to tell Nakia what she just confessed to him. She decided not to. “I thought he would be glad to see me. He was calling my name when he was dying.” 

“Maybe he is little confused, he just woke up and his mind is fussy. You should pay him a visit tomorrow when he has less medicine in his system.” Shuri nodded in sobs. Being surprised that Nakia was encouraging her.

“Yes, you’re right he is confused all that medicine and all those days asleep his brain is not working right,” Shuri told Nakia. She told herself. She wiped out the tears of her face. 

Nakia hugged her and it felt so comforting. She burst into tears one more time. 

They stayed like that for a long time and it felt so good to let everything go. 

“I kind of know how you feel.” Nakia paused to see her. Shuri didn’t think so. “When I found your brother after all those months and he didn’t recognize me, it was as if I had lost him again. I kept talking to him and he came around and remembered me. Everything is going to be fine. You will see.” She hugged one more time.

Shuri wanted to believe her, deep down she knew that wasn’t going to be the case. She doubted everything was going to be fine after all this mess. 

“Shuri, when was the last time you bathed?” She was affronted by the question. She made the calculation, keeping in mind that sleepless night she thought that never happened. 

“Two days ago.” Maybe. 

“You need a bath, you stink a little.” She chuckled for a moment. 

“How about if a make you a bath?” She offered.

 

Water was getting cold when Nakia returned. “Come out Shuri. You must be a raisin by now.”

She lifted her hands from the water. She was right her fingers were dehydrated. She came out of the tub wrap in a bathrobe. A bowl of soup was steaming in her table. 

“I know you haven’t been eating for the same amount of days you didn’t take a bath. This soup will be gentler on your stomach than the deconstructed sandwich you were going to eat.” 

He sipped the soup with a better appetite that she had before. Apart from the pain, she felt because of N’Jadaka’s rejection she still many questions in her mind. 

“Nakia. What you do think my brother will do with N’Jadaka?” The older woman stayed silence, perhaps searching for a more comforting answer than the real one.

“I’ll be honest with you. Shuri. T’Challa hasn’t talked to me about that part yet. At the moment he is only focusing on dismantling all Erik’s doing. He had ordered for the weapons that were made to be destroyed and the material to be recycled. He had had meetings with members of different tribes. To get things back like they were before, and he is reaching out for the war dogs gone rogue. All of them. I know your brother is planning something, but he hasn’t shared anything with me. And regarding Erik. I have no clue. But rest assured whatever your brother plans to do it will be fair.” 

“You have so much faith in my brother.”

“I do, and you should too.”

“I don’t know if I can. At least not concerning his decision when it comes to N’Jadaka. Not only because what he wanted to do and almost achieve, but how I helped him and what happened between the two of us.” By Bast sake guilt was eating alive and for all good reasons. 

“Are you afraid T’Challa will have a punishment for you, Shuri?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. It wouldn’t be undeserving.” 

“Oh. Don’t think that. Even if you don’t think it yourself right now. I know you didn’t want to help him. I know you didn’t have a choice.”

“I should have stayed with Mother. It was a mistake to come back knowing the risk of getting caught.”

“Don’t dwell in what ifs. You thought you had a change and we know it was just a ruse to attract you.”

“What about what happened between N’Jadaka and me? Do you think my brother will trust me again?”

“I think he will. It might take a bit of time, but I believe so. Shuri, this whole thing it’s a confusing tangling situation. Not only for your relationship with him but also what your father did. All the secrets that were kept for so many years. The result of it.” Nakia finished.

She didn’t know if Nakia meant a word of what she said, but right it was what she needed to here. Someone telling her all would be fine. She continued to eat her soup as Nakia tied up her room a bit. 

She felt a lot better. She was already making plans to see N’Jadaka next day. 

“I can’t believe you still have these.” The older woman said surprisingly, pointed out to the old toys on her shelves

“Yes, I still have them. They're special. Those were the firsts things I fixed or updated.”

“Yes. There were.”

 

After Nakia left she went back to her bed. Feeling sleepy and so much better. It remained her she needed a friend. Perhaps Nakia could be that person. She slept better that day. 

Before she entered the room, she stood at the door and took a deep breath. When the door slid open, she found a group of people cleaning out the room, but N’Jadaka was nowhere to be seen. 

The pile of books she brought days before was still on the side table.

“Where is N’Jadaka?” She asked one of the women working on the medical ventilator. 

“He was transferred.” The woman responded. 

“Where?” Shuri asked a bit frantic.

“To one of the cells on the north wing. He was handcuffed and escorted out of the room by for men and two Doras.” She finished. 

T’Challa had arrested N’Jadaka.

**Author's Note:**

> This was running in my head for a while now. Inspired by the people who like this ship. I hope you enjoy it. Shuri is older here, she is about to turn 19 by the beginning of this story. If you notice any mistake please let me know.


End file.
